Phenomenon
Images on older displays can appear more yellow or even brown when compared to other and newer displays.
How does this happen?
LCD panels contain several filters (foils) which can change color under the influence of mainly UV light and heat. CCFL backlit displays are sensitive to this because the CCFL backlights emit UV light and these panels typically get warmer than modern LED-based LCD panels.
Typically this change of color happens very slowly over time and users (radiologists) grow into it. Most of the time, they never notice this until they start working on a new display and compare it with the older display.
Note: LED-based displays will be much less affected by this aging phenomenon.
Is there a risk for my diagnosis?
Today, no evidence exists that this color shift will negatively impact diagnostic reading.
However, we do recommend to evaluate the display versus known QA standards or guidelines to see if it still complies with for instance DICOM. This phenomenon typically happens on older displays only, so in any case, it makes sense to periodically evaluate these displays in terms of image quality. You may choose to increase the test intervals for older displays to ensure diagnostic quality at all times.
