Theory 49/Precision & Information/Medical imaging
Resolution Sets Detection
The claim
The smallest detectable lesion is set by the ratio of image resolution to lesion contrast rather than by resolution alone.
01Mechanism
Detection requires the lesion to differ from background by more than noise, and noise averages over the voxel; finer voxels help only if contrast survives.
02Prediction
Detectable size should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Detectable size tracking resolution alone would remove contrast.