Eiichi Sato

Demonstration of enhanced iodine K-edge imaging using an energy-dispersive X-ray computed tomography system with a 25 mm/s-scan linear cadmium telluride detector and a single comparator

An energy-dispersive (ED) X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is useful for carrying out monochromatic imaging. To perform enhanced iodine K-edge CT, we developed an oscillation linear cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector with a scan velocity of 25 mm/s and an energy resolution of 1.2 keV. CT is performed by repeated linear scans and rotations of an object. Penetrating X-ray photons from the object are detected by the CdTe detector, and event signals of X-ray photons are produced using charge-sensitive and shaping amplifiers. The lower photon energy is determined by a comparator device, and the maximum photon energy of 60 keV corresponds to the tube voltage. Rectangular-shaped comparator outputs are counted by a counter card. In the ED-CT, tube voltage and current were 60 kV and 0.30 mA, respectively, and X-ray intensity was 14.8 μGy/s at 1.0m from the source at a tube voltage of 60 kV. Demonstration of enhanced iodine K-edge X-ray CT for cancer diagnosis was carried out by selecting photons with energies ranging from 34 to 60 keV.

Energy-Discriminating Gadolinium K-Edge X-ray Computed Tomography System

An energy-discriminating K-edge X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is useful for increasing the contrast resolution of a target region utilizing contrast media and for reducing the absorbed dose for patients. The CT system is of the first-generation type of detector using cadmium telluride (CdTe). CT is performed by repeated translations and rotations of an object. Penetrating X-ray photons from the object are detected by a CdTe detector, and event signals of X-ray photons are produced using charge-sensitive and shaping amplifiers. Both photon energy and energy width are selected out using a multichannel analyzer, and the number of photons is counted by a countercard. To perform energy discrimination, a low-dose-rate X-ray generator for photon counting was developed. Its maximum tube voltage and minimum tube current were 110 kV and 1 µA, respectively. In energy-discriminating CT, the tube voltage and tube current were 100 kV and 20 µA, respectively, and the X-ray intensity was 2.98 µGy/s at a distance of 1.0 m from the source and a tube voltage of 100 kV. The demonstration of enhanced gadolinium K-edge X-ray CT was carried out by selecting photons with energies just beyond the gadolinium K-edge energy of 50.3 keV.

X-ray fluorescence camera for imaging of iodine media in vivo.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis is useful for measuring density distributions of contrast media in vivo. An XRF camera was developed for carrying out mapping for iodine-based contrast media used in medical angiography. Objects are exposed by an X-ray beam from a cerium target. Cerium K-series X-rays are absorbed effectively by iodine media in objects, and iodine fluorescence is produced from the objects. Next, iodine Kα fluorescence is selected out by use of a 58-µm-thick stannum filter and is detected by a cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector. The Kα rays are discriminated out by a multichannel analyzer, and the number of photons is counted by a counter card. The objects are moved and scanned by an x–y stage in conjunction with a two-stage controller, and X-ray images obtained by iodine mapping are shown on a personal computer monitor. The scan pitch of the x and y axes was 2.5xa0mm, and the photon counting time per mapping point was 2.0xa0s. We carried out iodine mapping of non-living animals (phantoms), and iodine Kα fluorescence was produced from weakly remaining iodine elements in a rabbit skin cancer.

Energy discriminating x-ray camera utilizing a cadmium telluride detector

An energy-discriminating x-ray camera is useful for performing monochromatic radiography using polychromatic x rays. This x-ray camera was developed to carry out K-edge radiography using iodine-based contrast media. In this camera, objects are exposed by a cone beam from a cerium x-ray generator, and penetrating x-ray photons are detected by a cadmium telluride detector with an amplifier unit. The optimal x-ray photon energy and the energy width are selected out using a multichannel analyzer, and the photon number is counted by a counter card. Radiography was performed by the detector scanning using an x-y stage driven by a two-stage controller, and radiograms obtained by energy discriminating are shown on a personal computer monitor. In radiography, the tube voltage and current were 60 kV and 36 µA, respectively, and the x-ray intensity was 4.7 µGy/s. Cerium K-series characteristic x rays are absorbed effectively by iodine-based contrast media, and iodine K-edge radiography was performed using x rays with energies just beyond iodine K-edge energy 33.2 keV.

Investigation of dual-energy X-ray photon counting using a cadmium telluride detector and two comparators and its application to photon-count energy subtraction

To obtain two tomograms with two different photon energy ranges simultaneously, we have performed dual-energy X-ray photon counting using a cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector, two comparators, two frequency–voltage converters (FVCs), and an analog digital converter (ADC). X-ray photons are detected using the CdTe detector with an energy resolution of 1% at 122 keV, and the event pulses from a shaping amplifier are sent to two comparators simultaneously to regulate two thresholds of photon energy. The logical pulses from a comparator are sent to an FVC consisting of two integrators, a microcomputer, and a voltage–voltage amplifier. The smoothed outputs from the two FVCs are input to the ADC to carry out dual-energy imaging. To observe contrast variations with changes in threshold energy, we performed energy-dispersive computed tomography utilizing the dual-energy photon counting at a tube voltage of 70 kV and a current of 25 µA. Two tomograms were obtained simultaneously at two energy ranges of 20.0–70.0 keV and 33.2–70.0 keV. The photon-count subtraction was carried out using photon energies ranging from 20.0 to 33.2 keV. The maximum count rate was 5.4 kilocounts per second with energies of 20.0–70.0 keV, and the exposure time for tomography was 10 min.

Energy-discriminating K-edge x-ray computed tomography system

An energy-discriminating K-edge x-ray Computed Tomography (CT) system is useful for increasing contrast resolution of a target region and for diagnosing cancers utilizing a drug delivery system. The CT system is of the first generation type and consists of an x-ray generator, a turn table, a translation stage, a two-stage controller, a cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector, a charge amplifier, a shaping amplifier, a multi-channel analyzer (MCA), a counter board (CB), and a personal computer (PC). The K-edge CT is accomplished by repeating translation and rotation of an object. Penetrating x-ray spectra from the object are measured by a spectrometer utilizing the CdTe detector, amplifiers, and MCA. Both the photon energy and the energy width are selected by the MCA for discriminating photon energy. Enhanced iodine K-edge x-ray CT was performed by selecting photons with energies just beyond iodine K-edge energy of 33.2 keV.

Investigation of Energy-Dispersive X-ray Computed Tomography System with CdTe Scan Detector and Comparing-Differentiator and Its Application to Gadolinium K-Edge Imaging

An energy-dispersive (ED) X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is useful for carrying out monochromatic imaging by selecting optimal energy photons. CT is performed by repeated linear scans and rotations of an object. X-ray photons from the object are detected by the cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector, and event pulses of X-ray photons are produced using charge-sensitive and shaping amplifiers. The lower photon energy is determined by a comparator, and the maximum photon energy of 70 keV corresponds to the tube voltage. Logical pulses from the comparator are counted by a counter card through a differentiator to reduce pulse width and rise time. In the ED-CT system, tube voltage and current were 70 kV and 0.30 mA, respectively, and X-ray intensity was 18.2 µGy/s at 1.0 m from the source at a tube voltage of 70 kV. Demonstration of gadolinium K-edge CT for cancer diagnosis was carried out by selecting photons with energies ranging from 50.4 to 70 keV, and photon-count energy subtraction imaging from 30 to 50.3 keV was also performed.

Zero-dark-counting high-speed X-ray photon detection using a cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite crystal and a small photomultiplier tube and its application to gadolinium imaging

X-ray photons are detected using a cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite [YAP(Ce)] single-crystal scintillator with a decay time of 30 ns and a small-sized photomultiplier tube (SPMT). The negative output pulse from the SPMT is amplified by a high-speed inverse amplifier, and the event pulses are sent to a multichannel analyzer to measure X-ray spectra. The energy resolution of the spectrometer was 15% at 59.5 keV. We carried out photon-counting computed tomography using gadolinium media with a maximum rate of 650 kilo counts per second and confirmed the energy-dispersive effect with changes in the description voltage of event pulses using a high-speed comparator.

Low-Dose-Rate Computed Tomography System Utilizing 25 mm/s-Scan Silicon X-ray Diode and Its Application to Iodine K-Edge Imaging Using Filtered Bremsstrahlung Photons

A low-dose-rate X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is useful for reducing absorbed dose for patients. The CT system with a tube current of sub-mA was developed using a silicon X-ray diode (Si-XD). The Si-XD is a high-sensitivity Si photodiode (PD) selected for detecting X-ray photons, and the X-ray sensitivity of the Si-XD was twice as high as that of Si-PD cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite [YAP(Ce)]. X-ray photons are directly detected using the Si-XD without a scintillator, and the photocurrent from the diode is amplified using current–voltage and voltage–voltage amplifiers. The output voltage is converted into logical pulses using a voltage–frequency converter with a maximum frequency of 500 kHz, and the frequency is proportional to the voltage. The pulses from the converter are sent to the differentiator with a time constant of 500 ns to generate short positive pulses for counting, and the pulses are counted using a counter card. Tomography is accomplished by repeated linear scans and rotations of an object, and projection curves of the object are obtained by the linear scan. The exposure time for obtaining a tomogram was 5 min at a scan step of 0.5 mm and a rotation step of 3.0°. The tube current and voltage were 0.55 mA and 60 kV, respectively, and iodine K-edge CT was carried out using filtered bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra with a peak energy of 38 keV.

Embossed radiography utilizing energy subtraction

Currently, it is difficult to carry out refraction-contrast radiography by using a conventional X-ray generator. Thus, we developed an embossed radiography system utilizing dual-energy subtraction for decreasing the absorption contrast in unnecessary regions, and the contrast resolution of a target region was increased by use of image-shifting subtraction and a linear-contrast system in a flat panel detector (FPD). The X-ray generator had a 100-μm-focus tube. Energy subtraction was performed at tube voltages of 45 and 65xa0kV, a tube current of 0.50xa0mA, and an X-ray exposure time of 5.0xa0s. A 1.0-mm-thick aluminum filter was used for absorbing low-photon-energy bremsstrahlung X-rays. Embossed radiography was achieved with cohesion imaging by use of the FPD with pixel sizes of 48xa0×xa048xa0μm, and the shifting dimension of an object in the horizontal direction ranged from 100 to 200xa0μm. At a shifting distance of 100xa0μm, the spatial resolutions in the horizontal and vertical directions measured with a lead test chart were both 83xa0μm. In embossed radiography of non-living animals, we obtained high-contrast embossed images of fine bones, gadolinium oxide particles in the kidney, and coronary arteries approximately 100xa0μm in diameter.