Progress in the development of a dedicated breast CT scanner

A pendant-geometry, cone-beam breast CT scanner has been constructed and is undergoing thorough testing in our facility. The system is capable of acquiring 30 frames/sec in 2×2 binning mode (1024×768 pixels) using a flat panel detector coupled to a thallium-doped cesium iodide scintillator. The DQE of the detector system for RQA5 and RQA9 x-ray beam qualities were computed, and the low frequency DQE values were 65% and 57% respectively at approximately 16 μR/frame. The results also shown that minor improvements in DQE are achieved for exposures greater than 16 μR/frame. It is expected that the scanner will be available for the imaging of human volunteers in the first half of 2004.

[1]  T R Nelson,et al.  A comprehensive analysis of DgN(CT) coefficients for pendant-geometry cone-beam breast computed tomography. , 2004, Medical physics.

[2]  Kunio Doi,et al.  A simple method for determining the modulation transfer function in digital radiography , 1992, IEEE Trans. Medical Imaging.

[3]  Kevin Hughes,et al.  Gauging the impact of breast carcinoma screening in terms of tumor size and death rate , 2003, Cancer.

[4]  John M. Boone,et al.  Determination of imaging performance of a photostimulable phosphor system for digital mammography , 2002, SPIE Medical Imaging.

[5]  S. Taplin,et al.  Breast cancer screening controversies. , 2003, The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice.

[6]  L. Feldkamp,et al.  Practical cone-beam algorithm , 1984 .

[7]  M H Buonocore,et al.  Monte Carlo validation in diagnostic radiological imaging. , 2000, Medical Physics (Lancaster).

[8]  J M Boone,et al.  Scatter/primary in mammography: Monte Carlo validation. , 2000, Medical physics.

[9]  Ehsan Samei.  Image quality in two phosphor-based flat panel digital radiographic detectors. , 2003, Medical physics.

[10]  Richard O. Duda,et al.  Use of the Hough transformation to detect lines and curves in pictures , 1972, CACM.

[11]  J. Hendriks,et al.  Initiation of population-based mammography screening in Dutch municipalities and effect on breast-cancer mortality: a systematic review , 2003, The Lancet.

[12]  J. Boone,et al.  An accurate method for computer-generating tungsten anode x-ray spectra from 30 to 140 kV. , 1997, Medical physics.