Virgil N. Cooper

Scatter/primary in mammography: Comprehensive results

Monte Carlo procedures using the SIERRA code (validated in a companion article) were used to investigate the scatter properties in mammography. The scatter to primary ratio (SPR) was used for quantifying scatter levels as a function of beam spectrum, position in the field, air gap, breast thickness, tissue composition, and the area of the field of view (FOV). The geometry of slot scan mammography was also simulated, and SPR values were calculated as a function of slot width. The influence of large air gaps (to 30 cm) was also studied in the context of magnification mammography. X-ray energy and tissue composition from 100% adipose to 100% glandular demonstrated little effect on the SPR. Air gaps over a range from 0 to 30 mm showed only slight effects. The SPR increased with increased breast thickness and with larger fields of view. Measurements from 82 mammograms provided estimates of the range of compressed breast thickness (median: 5.2 cm, 95% range: 2.4 cm to 7.9 cm) and projected breast area onto the film (left craniocaudal view, median: 146 cm2, 95% range: 58 cm2 to 298 cm2). SPR values for semicircular breast shapes, Mo/Mo spectra, and a 15 mm air gap were parametrized as a function of breast thickness and (semicircular) breast diameter. With the coefficients a = - 2.35452817439093, b = 22.3960980055927, and c = 8.85064260299289, the equation SPR= [a + b x (diameter in cm)--(-1.5) + c x (thickness in cm) --(-0.5)]-- -1 produces SPR data from 2 to 8 cm and from 3 to 30 cm breast diameters with an average error of about 1%.

Scatter/primary in mammography: Monte Carlo validation

The purpose of this investigation was to compare and validate the performance of the SIERRA Monte Carlo simulation routines for the analysis of the scatter to primary ratio (SPR) in the mammography setting. Two Monte Carlo simulation methods were addressed, the direct method was a straightforward and geometrically accurate simulation procedure, and the convolution method uses idealized geometry (monoenergetic, normally incident delta function input to the scattering medium) to produce scatter point spread functions (PSFs). The PSFs were weighted by the x-ray spectrum of interest and convolved with the field of view to estimate SPR values. The SPR results of both Monte Carlo procedures were extensively compared to five published sources, including Monte-Carlo-derived and physically measured SPR assessments. The direct method demonstrated an overall agreement with the literature of 3.7% accuracy (N=5), and the convolution method demonstrated an average of 7.1% accuracy (N=14). The comparisons were made over a range of parameters which included field of view, phantom thickness, x-ray energy, and phantom composition. Limitations of the beam stop method were also discussed. The results suggest that the SIERRA Monte Carlo routines produce accurate SPR calculations and may be useful for a more comprehensive study of scatter in mammography.

Monte Carlo assessment of computed tomography dose to tissue adjacent to the scanned volume

The assessment of the radiation dose to internal organs or to an embryo or fetus is required on occasion for risk assessment or for comparing imaging studies. Limited resources hinder the ability to accurately assess the radiation dose received to locations outside the tissue volume actually scanned during computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this study was to assess peripheral doses and provide tabular data for dose evaluation. Validated Monte Carlo simulation techniques were used to compute the dose distribution along the length of water-equivalent cylindrical phantoms, 16 and 32 cm in diameter. For further validation, comparisons between physically measured and Monte Carlo-derived air kerma profiles were performed and showed excellent (1% to 2%) agreement. Polyenergetic x-ray spectra at 80, 100, 120, and 140 kVp with beam shaping filters were studied. Using 10(8) simulated photons input to the cylinders perpendicular to their long axis, line spread functions (LSF) of the dose distribution were determined at three depths in the cylinders (center, mid-depth, and surface). The LSF data were then used with appropriate mathematics to compute dose distributions along the long axis of the cylinder. The dose distributions resulting from helical (pitch = 1.0) scans and axial scans were approximately equivalent. Beyond about 3 cm from the edge of the CT scanned tissue volume, the fall-off of radiation dose was exponential. A series of tables normalized at 100 milliampere seconds (mAs) were produced which allow the straight-forward assessment of dose within and peripheral to the CT scanned volume. The tables should be useful for medical physicists and radiologists in the estimation of dose to sites beyond the edge of the CT scanned volume.

Monte Carlo validation in diagnostic radiological imaging.

Monte Carlo analysis in the radiological sciences has been used for several decades, however with the ever-increasing power of desktop computers, the utility of Monte Carlo simulation is increasing. A Monte Carlo code called the Simple Investigative Environment for Radiological Research Applications (SIERRA) is described mathematically, and is then compared against an array of published and unpublished results determined by other means. A series of 32 comparisons between data sets, 22 from independent Monte Carlo simulations and 10 from physically measured data, were assessed. The compared parameters included depth dose curves, lateral energy scattering profiles, scatter to primary ratios, normalized glandular doses, angular scattering distributions, and computed tomography dose index (CTDI) values. Three of the 32 comparison data sets were excluded as they were identified as outliers. Of the remaining 29 data sets compared, the mean differences ranged from -14.8% to +17.2%, and the average of the mean differences was 0.12% (sigma = 1.64%), and the median difference was 1.57%. Fifty percent of the comparisons showed mean differences of approximately 5% or less, and 93% of the comparisons showed mean differences of 12% or less. We conclude that for research applications in diagnostic radiology, the SIERRA Monte Carlo code demonstrates accuracy and precision to well within acceptable levels.

An edge spread technique for measurement of the scatter‐to‐primary ratio in mammography

An experimental measurement technique that directly measures the magnitude and spatial distribution of scatter in relation to primary radiation is presented in this work. The technique involves the acquisition of magnified edge spread function (ESF) images with and without scattering material present. The ESFs are normalized and subtracted to yield scatter-to-primary ratios (SPRs), along with the spatial distributions of scatter and primary radiation. Mammography is used as the modality to demonstrate the ESF method, which is applicable to all radiographic environments. Sets of three images were acquired with a modified clinical mammography system employing a flat panel detector for 2, 4, 6, and 8 cm thick breast tissue equivalent material phantoms composed of 0%, 43%, and 100% glandular tissue at four different kV settings. Beam stop measurements of scatter were used to validate the ESF methodology. There was good agreement of the mean SPRs between the beam stop and ESF methods. There was good precision in the ESF-determined SPRs with a coefficient of variation on the order of 5%. SPRs ranged from 0.2 to 2.0 and were effectively independent of energy for clinically realistic kVps. The measured SPRs for 2, 4, and 6 cm 0% glandular phantoms imaged at 28 kV were 0.21+/-0.01, 0.39+/-0.01, and 0.57+/-0.02, respectively. The measured SPRs for 2, 4, and 6 cm 43% glandular phantoms imaged at 28 kV were 0.20+/-0.01, 0.35+/-0.02, and 0.53+/-0.02, respectively. The measured SPRs for 2, 4, and 6 cm 100% glandular phantoms imaged at 28 kV were 0.22+/-0.02, 0.42+/-0.03, and 0.88+/-0.08, respectively.

Characterization of a third-generation multimode sensor panel

This paper describes a third-generation multi-mode x-ray imager whose applications include low-dose fluoroscopy, cine, spot films, and radiography. In addition, volumetric CT and applications whose environment includes a 2 tesla magnetic field are also in development. The VIP-9 is based on an amorphous silicon TFT/Photodiode array and x-ray conversion screen, which is optionally a deposited CsI(Tl) film or a removable Gd2O2S screen. There are three primary modes of operation: RAD for high resolution radiographs and spot films; Fluoro for video rate, low dose fluoroscopy as well as cine; Zoom for high resolution, limited field of view (FOV) fluoroscopy. Through improved electronics, the imager has greater sensitivity at low doses and far better rejection of correlated line noise than its predecessors. In addition, the VIP-9 incorporates many ease-of-use features absent from earlier prototype imagers. While previous reports have primarily focused on the imager construction and noise issues in large area sensing technology, in this paper the emphasis is on features which facilitate integration into a complete imaging system and measures of image quality.

A lesion detectability simulation method for digital x-ray imaging.

A simulation method is described in this work that aids in quantifying the upper limits of lesion detectability as a function of lesion size, lesion contrast, pixel size, and x-ray exposure for digital x-ray imaging systems. The method entails random lesion placement with subsequent simulated imaging on idealized x-ray detectors with no additive noise and 100% quantum detective efficiency. Lesions of different size and thickness were simulated. Mean (expectation) lesion signal-to-noise ratios (LSNRs) were calculated and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed based on LSNR ensembles. Mean (expectation) values of the areas under the ROC curves were calculated for lesions of varying size on pixel arrays of varying size at different exposures. Analyses were performed across several parameters, including lesion size, pixel size, and exposure levels representative of various areas of radiography. As expected, lesion detectability increased with lesion size, contrast, pixel size, and exposure. The model suggests that lesion detectability is strongly dependent on the relative alignment (phase) of the lesion with the pixel matrix for lesions on the order of the pixel size.

Grids and digital grids: the improvement of contrast and SNR in digital radiography

Scattered radiation reduces image contrast and is probably the biggest factor contributing to poor diagnostic quality in radiography. In conventional radiography, X-ray grids are widely used to improve the diagnostic quality of radiographs by absorbing the great part of scattered radiation. In digital radiography the decoupling of the image acquisition and display allows potential image processing solutions to remove the effects of scatter. In this work, we present novel scatter and grid models that are constructed to aid in finding potential solutions for scatter reduction that do not entail the degree of tradeoff between scatter removal and dose as in conventional radiography.

Motion detection in hybrid PET/SPECT imaging based on the spatial cross-correlation of temporal sinograms

Patient motion in gamma camera coincidence imaging results in severe reconstruction artifacts. A protocol is proposed to automatically detect and correct motion from SPECT coincidence studies. The method is based on fractionating the acquisition into three full temporal sets of coincidence data. For each set and camera position, partial sinograms are calculated by rebinning events acquired at the same rotation. Partial sinograms from successive angular positions as well as from successive sets are cross- correlated along their common range of projections. Decreases in the cross-correlation values indicate that data from two successive rotations or sets became inconsistent and permit localization of the motion that occurred during the study. Events acquired during motion are eliminated while pre and post motion events are recombined into sets of consistent rebinned data that are reconstructed independently and fused to provide a motion-artifact free reconstructed image. The methods were tested using a wide range of experimental motion data obtained from cylindrical phantoms containing spheres filled with Fluorine-18. Single arbitrary motions that occurred during the study could be detected and further corrected in all phantom studies when the total number of coincident events acquired was greater than 5x106 for lesion-to-background ratios greater than 5.