Jun Onagawa

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.

X-ray Spectra from Weakly Ionized Linear Copper Plasma

In the plasma flash X-ray generator, a 200 nF condenser is charged up to 50 kV by a power supply, and flash X-rays are produced by the discharging. The X-ray tube is a demountable triode with a trigger electrode, and the turbomolecular pump evacuates air from the tube with a pressure of approximately 1 mPa. Target evaporation leads to the formation of weakly ionized linear plasma, consisting of copper ions and electrons, around the fine target, and intense Kα lines are left using a 10-µm-thick nickel filter. At a charging voltage of 50 kV, the maximum tube voltage was almost equal to the charging voltage of the main condenser, and the peak current was about 16 kA. The K-series characteristic X-rays were clean and intense, and higher harmonic X-rays were observed. The X-ray pulse widths were approximately 300 ns, and the time-integrated X-ray intensity had a value of approximately 1.5 mGy per pulse at 1.0 m from the X-ray source with a charging voltage of 50 kV.

Enhanced K-edge Angiography Utilizing Tantalum Plasma X-ray Generator in Conjunction with Gadolinium-Based Contrast Media

The tantalum plasma flash X-ray generator is useful for performing high-speed enhanced K-edge angiography using cone beams because K-series characteristic X-rays from the tantalum target are absorbed effectively by gadolinium-based contrast media. In the flash X-ray generator, a 150 nF condenser is charged up to 80 kV by a power supply, and flash X-rays are produced by the discharging. The X-ray tube is a demountable cold-cathode diode, and the turbomolecular pump evacuates air from the tube with a pressure of approximately 1 mPa. Since the electric circuit of the high-voltage pulse generator employs a cable transmission line, the high-voltage pulse generator produces twice the potential of the condenser charging voltage. At a charging voltage of 80 kV, the estimated maximum tube voltage and current were approximately 160 kV and 40 kA, respectively. When the charging voltage was increased, the K-series characteristic X-ray intensities of cerium increased. The K lines were clean and intense, and hardly any bremsstrahlung rays were detected. The X-ray pulse widths were approximately 100 ns, and the time-integrated X-ray intensity had a value of approximately 300 µGy at 1.0 m from the X-ray source with a charging voltage of 80 kV. Angiography was performed using a filmless computed radiography (CR) system and gadolinium-based contrast media. In the angiography of nonliving animals, we observed fine blood vessels of approximately 100 µm with high contrasts.

Variations in Cerium X-ray Spectra and Enhanced K-Edge Angiography

A cerium-target X-ray tube is useful in performing cone-beam K-edge angiography because K-series characteristic X-rays from the cerium target are absorbed effectively by iodine-based contrast media. The X-ray generator consists of a main controller and a unit with a high-voltage circuit and a fixed anode X-ray tube. The tube is a 1.0-mm-focus diode with a cerium target and a 0.5-mm-thick beryllium window. The maximum tube voltage and current were 65 kV and 0.4 mA, respectively. Cerium Kα rays were selected out using a barium sulfate filter, and the X-ray intensities without filtering and with a barium sulfate filter were 209 and 16.8 µGy/s, respectively, at 1.0 m from the source with a tube voltage of 60 kV and a current of 0.40 mA. Angiography was performed with an X-ray film using the filter and iodine-based microspheres 15 µm in diameter. In the angiography of nonliving animals, we observed fine blood vessels approximately 100 µm in diameter with high contrasts.

15Mcps photon-counting X-ray computed tomography system using a ZnO-MPPC detector and its application to gadolinium imaging.

15Mcps photon-counting X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is a first-generation type and consists of an X-ray generator, a turntable, a translation stage, a two-stage controller, a detector consisting of a 2mm-thick zinc-oxide (ZnO) single-crystal scintillator and an MPPC (multipixel photon counter) module, a counter card (CC), and a personal computer (PC). High-speed photon counting was carried out using the detector in the X-ray CT system. The maximum count rate was 15Mcps (mega counts per second) at a tube voltage of 100kV and a tube current of 1.95mA. Tomography is accomplished by repeated translations and rotations of an object, and projection curves of the object are obtained by the translation. The pulses of the event signal from the module are counted by the CC in conjunction with the PC. The minimum exposure time for obtaining a tomogram was 15min, and photon-counting CT was accomplished using gadolinium-based contrast media.

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.

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.

Characteristic X-ray Generator Utilizing Angle Dependence of Bremsstrahlung X-ray Distribution

This generator consists of the following components: a constant high-voltage power supply, a filament power supply, a turbomolecular pump, and an X-ray tube. The X-ray tube is a demountable diode which is connected to the turbomolecular pump and consists of the following major devices: a molybdenum rod target, a tungsten hairpin cathode (filament), a focusing (Wehnelt) electrode, a polyethylene terephthalate X-ray window 0.25 mm in thickness, and a stainless-steel tube body. In the X-ray tube, the positive high voltage is applied to the anode (target) electrode, and the cathode is connected to the tube body (ground potential). In this experiment, the tube voltage applied was from 22 to 36 kV, and the tube current was regulated to within 100 µA by the filament temperature. The exposure time is controlled in order to obtain optimum X-ray intensity. The electron beams from the cathode are converged to the target by the focusing electrode, and clean K-series characteristic X-rays are produced through the focusing electrode without using a filter. The X-ray intensity was 26.6 µGy/s at 1.0 m from the X-ray source with a tube voltage of 30 kV and a tube current of 100 µA, and quasi-monochromatic radiography was performed using a computed radiography system.

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.

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.