DLP
Dose-Length Product — total CT dose × scan length, expressed in mGy·cm. Summary dose metric for a CT exam, derived from CTDI and reported automatically in DICOM structured dose reports on every modern CT scanner.
Why it matters to buyers: Regulatory dose-reference-level (DRL) benchmarks are expressed in DLP per anatomic region. Tracked by dose-monitoring software (Bayer Radimetrics, GE DoseWatch, ACR Dose Index Registry submissions). DLP outliers vs the DRL flag protocol or technique problems before they become accreditation findings.
Why it matters to engineers: CTDI × scan length = DLP. Both must be calibrated for accurate reporting. CT-AEC (automatic exposure control — Smart mA, CARE Dose4D, DoseRight) modulates per-slice dose dynamically; the DLP captures the integrated result.