| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Cederström, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Observer-model optimization of X-ray system in photon-counting breast imaging
- 2011
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 648:Supplement 1, s. S54-S57
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An ideal-observer model is applied to optimize the design of an X-ray tube intended for use in a multi-slit scanning photon-counting mammography system. The design is such that the anode and the heel effect are reversed and the projected focal spot is smallest at the chest wall. Using linear systems theory, detectability and dose efficiency for a 0.1-mm disk are calculated for different focal spot sizes and anode angles. It is shown that the image acquisition time can be reduced by about 25% with spatial resolution and dose efficiency improved near the chest wall and worsened further away. The image quality is significantly more homogeneous than for the conventional anode orientation, both with respect to noise and detectability of a small object. With the tube rotated 90°, dose efficiency can be improved by 20% for a fixed image acquisition time.
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| 3. |
- Cederström, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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The influence of anatomical noise on optimal beam quality in mammography
- 2014
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 41:12, s. 121903-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Beam-quality optimization in digital mammography traditionally considers detection of a target obscured by quantum noise in a homogeneous background. This does not correspond well to the clinical imaging task because real mammographic images contain a complex superposition of anatomical structures, resulting in anatomical noise that may dominate over quantum noise. The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence on optimal beam quality in mammography when anatomical noise is taken into account. Methods: The detectability of microcalcifications and masses was quantified using a theoretical ideal-observer model that included quantum noise as well as anatomical noise and a simplified model of a photon-counting mammography system. The outcome was experimentally verified using two types of simulated tissue phantoms. Results: The theoretical model showed that the detectability of tumors and microcalcifications behaves differently with respect to beam quality and dose. The results for small microcalcifications were similar to what traditional optimization methods yield, which is to be expected because quantum noise dominates over anatomical noise at high spatial frequencies. For larger tumors, however, low-frequency anatomical noise was the limiting factor. Because anatomical structure noise has similar energy dependence as tumor contrast, the optimal x-ray energy was found to be higher and the useful energy region was wider than traditional methods suggest. A simplified scalar model was able to capture this behavior using a fitted noise mixing parameter. The phantom measurements confirmed these theoretical results. Conclusions: It was shown that since quantum noise constitutes only a small fraction of the noise, the dose could be reduced substantially without sacrificing tumor detectability. Furthermore, when anatomical noise is included, the tube voltage can be increased well beyond what is conventionally considered optimal and used clinically, without loss of image quality. However, no such conclusions can be drawn for the more complex mammographic imaging task as a whole. (C) 2014 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
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| 4. |
- Dahlman, Nils, et al.
(författare)
-
Evaluation of photon-counting spectral breast tomosynthesis
- 2011
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2011. - : SPIE.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have designed a mammography system that for the first time combines photon-counting spectral imaging with tomosynthesis. The present study is a comprehensive physical evaluation of the system; tomosynthesis, spectral imaging, and the combination of both are compared using an ideal-observer model that takes anatomical noise into account. Predictions of signal and noise transfer through the system are verified by contrast measurements on a tissue phantom and 3D measurements of MTF and NPS. Clinical images acquired with the system are discussed in view of the model predictions.
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| 5. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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A low-absorption x-ray energy filter for small-scale applications
- 2009
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Ingår i: Optics Express. - : The Optical Society. - 1094-4087. ; 17:14, s. 11388-11398
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present an experimental and theoretical evaluation of an x-ray energy filter based on the chromatic properties of a prism-array lens (PAL). It is intended for small-scale applications such as medical imaging. The PAL approximates a Fresnel lens and allows for high efficiency compared to filters based on ordinary refractive lenses, however at the cost of a lower energy resolution. Geometrical optics was found to provide a good approximation for the performance of a flawless lens, but a field-propagation model was used for quantitative predictions. The model predicted a 0.29 ΔE/E energy resolution and an intensity gain of 6.5 for a silicon PAL at 23.5 keV. Measurements with an x-ray tube showed good agreement with the model in energy resolution and peak energy, but a blurred focal line contributed to a 29% gain reduction. We believe the blurring to be caused mainly by lens imperfections, in particular at the periphery of the lens.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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A photon-counting detector for dual-energy breast tomosynthesis
- 2009
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2009. - : SPIE. ; , s. 72581-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the first evaluation of a recently developed silicon-strip detector for photon-counting dual-energy breast tomosynthesis. The detector is well suited for tomosynthesis with high dose efficiency and intrinsic scatter rejection. A method was developed for measuring the spatial resolution of a system based on the detector in terms of the three-dimensional modulation transfer function (MTF). The measurements agreed well with theoretical expectations, and it was seen that depth resolution was won at the cost of a slightly decreased lateral resolution. This may be a justifiable trade-off as clinical images acquired with the system indicate improved conspicuity of breast lesions. The photon-counting detector enables dual-energy subtraction imaging with electronic spectrumsplitting. This improved the detectability of iodine in phantom measurements, and the detector was found to be stable over typical clinical acquisition times. A model of the energy resolution showed that further improvements are witn reach by optimization of the detector.
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| 8. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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A Tunable Energy Filter for Medical X-Ray Imaging
- 2008
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Ingår i: X-Ray Optics and Instrumentation. - : Hindawi. - 1687-7632 .- 1687-7640. ; 2008
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A multiprism lens (MPL) is a refractive X-ray lens, and its chromatic properties can be employed in an energy filtering setup to obtain a narrow tunable X-ray spectrum. We present the first evaluation of such a filter for medical X-ray imaging. The experimental setup yields a 6.6 gain of flux at 20 keV, and we demonstrate tunability by altering the energy spectrum to center also around 17 and 23 keV. All measurements are found to agree well with ray-tracing and a proposed geometrical model. Compared to a model mammography system with absorption filtering, the experimental MPL filter reduces dose 13–25% for 3–7 cm breasts if the spectrum is centered around the optimal energy. Additionally, the resolution is improved 2.5 times for a 5 cm breast. The scan time is increased 3 times but can be reduced with a slightly decreased energy filtering and resolution.
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| 9. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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An efficient pre-object collimator based on an x-ray lens
- 2009
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 36:2, s. 626-633
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A multiprism lens (MPL) is a refractive x-ray lens with one-dimensional focusing properties. If used as a pre-object collimator in a scanning system for medical x-ray imaging, it reduces the divergence of the radiation and improves on photon economy compared to a slit collimator. Potential advantages include shorter acquisition times, a reduced tube loading, or improved resolution. We present the first images acquired with a MPL in a prototype for a scanning mammography system. The lens showed a gain of flux of 1.32 compared to a slit collimator at equal resolution, or a gain in resolution of 1.31–1.44 at equal flux. We expect the gain of flux in a clinical setup with an optimized MPL and a custom-made absorption filter to reach 1.67, or 1.45–1.54 gain in resolution.
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| 10. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Contrast-enhanced dual-energy subtraction imaging using electronic spectrum-splitting and multi-prism x-ray lenses
- 2008
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2008 - Physics of Medical Imaging. - San Diego, CA, USA : SPIE. - 9780819470973 ; , s. 91310-91310
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dual-energy subtraction imaging (DES) is a method to improve the detectability of contrast agents over a lumpy background. Two images, acquired at x-ray energies above and below an absorption edge of the agent material, are logarithmically subtracted, resulting in suppression of the signal from the tissue background and a relative enhancement of the signal from the agent. Although promising, DES is still not widely used in clinical practice. One reason may be the need for two distinctly separated x-ray spectra that are still close to the absorption edge, realized through dual exposures which may introduce motion unsharpness. In this study, electronic spectrum-splitting with a silicon-strip detector is theoretically and experimentally investigated for a mammography model with iodinated contrast agent. Comparisons are made to absorption imaging and a near-ideal detector using a signal-to-noise ratio that includes both statistical and structural noise. Similar to previous studies, heavy absorption filtration was needed to narrow the spectra at the expense of a large reduction in x-ray flux. Therefore, potential improvements using a chromatic multi-prism x-ray lens (MPL) for filtering were evaluated theoretically. The MPL offers a narrow tunable spectrum, and we show that the image quality can be improved compared to conventional filtering methods.
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| 11. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography with a photon-counting detector
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 37:5, s. 2017-2029
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Spectral imaging is a method in medical x-ray imaging to extract information about the object constituents by the material-specific energy dependence of x-ray attenuation. In particular, the detectability of a contrast agent can be improved over a lumpy background. We have investigated a photon-counting spectral imaging system with two energy bins for contrast-enhanced mammography. System optimization and the potential benefit compared to conventional non-energy-resolved imaging was studied.Methods: A framework for system characterization was set up that included quantum and anatomical noise, and a theoretical model of the system was benchmarked to phantom measurements.Results: It was found that optimal combination of the energy-resolved images corresponded approximately to minimization of the anatomical noise, and an ideal-observer detectability index could be improved more than a factor of two compared to absorption imaging in the phantom study. In the clinical case, an improvement close to 80% was predicted for an average glandularity breast, and a factor of eight for dense breast tissue. Another 70% was found to be within reach for an optimized system.Conclusions: Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography is feasible and beneficial with the current system, and there is room for additional improvements.
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| 12. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Energy filtering with x-ray lenses: Optimization for photon-counting mammography
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Radiation Protection Dosimetry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0144-8420 .- 1742-3406. ; 139, s. 339-342
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chromatic properties of the multi-prism and prism-array x-ray lenses (MPL and PAL) can potentially be utilized for efficient energy filtering and dose reduction in mammography. The line-shaped foci of the lenses are optimal for coupling to photon-counting silicon strip detectors in a scanning system. A theoretical model was developed and used to investigate the benefit of two lenses compared to an absorption-filtered reference system. The dose reduction of the MPL filter was 15% compared to the reference system at matching scan time, and the spatial resolution was higher. The dose of the PAL-filtered system was found to be 20% lower than for the reference system at equal scan time and resolution, and only 20% higher than for a monochromatic beam. An investigation of some practical issues remains, including the feasibility of brilliant-enough x-ray sources and manufacturing of a polymer PAL.
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| 13. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Energy resolution of a photon-counting silicon strip detector
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; , s. 156-162
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A photon-counting silicon strip detector with two energy thresholds was investigated for spectral X-ray imaging in a mammography system. Preliminary studies already indicate clinical benefit of the detector, and the purpose of the present study is optimization with respect to energy resolution. Factors relevant for the energy response were measured, simulated, or gathered from previous studies, and used as input parameters to a cascaded detector model. Threshold scans over several X-ray spectra were used to calibrate threshold levels to energy, and to validate the model. The energy resolution of the detector assembly was assessed to range over ΔE/E=0.12–0.26 in the mammography region. Electronic noise dominated the peak broadening, followed by charge sharing between adjacent detector strips, and a channel-to-channel threshold spread. The energy resolution may be improved substantially if these effects are reduced to a minimum. Anti-coincidence logic mitigated double counting from charge sharing, but erased the energy resolution of all detected events, and optimization of the logic is desirable. Pile-up was found to be of minor importance at typical mammography rates.
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| 14. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Ideal-observer detectability in photon-counting differential phase-contrast imaging using a linear-systems approach
- 2012
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 39:9, s. 5317-5335
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To provide a cascaded-systems framework based on the noise-power spectrum (NPS), modulation transfer function (MTF), and noise-equivalent number of quanta (NEQ) for quantitative evaluation of differential phase-contrast imaging (Talbot interferometry) in relation to conventional absorption contrast under equal-dose, equal-geometry, and, to some extent, equal-photon-economy constraints. The focus is a geometry for photon-counting mammography. Methods: Phase-contrast imaging is a promising technology that may emerge as an alternative or adjunct to conventional absorption contrast. In particular, phase contrast may increase the signal-difference-to-noise ratio compared to absorption contrast because the difference in phase shift between soft-tissue structures is often substantially larger than the absorption difference. We have developed a comprehensive cascaded-systems framework to investigate Talbot interferometry, which is a technique for differential phase-contrast imaging. Analytical expressions for the MTF and NPS were derived to calculate the NEQ and a task-specific ideal-observer detectability index under assumptions of linearity and shift invariance. Talbot interferometry was compared to absorption contrast at equal dose, and using either a plane wave or a spherical wave in a conceivable mammography geometry. The impact of source size and spectrum bandwidth was included in the framework, and the trade-off with photon economy was investigated in some detail. Wave-propagation simulations were used to verify the analytical expressions and to generate example images. Results: Talbot interferometry inherently detects the differential of the phase, which led to a maximum in NEQ at high spatial frequencies, whereas the absorption-contrast NEQ decreased monotonically with frequency. Further, phase contrast detects differences in density rather than atomic number, and the optimal imaging energy was found to be a factor of 1.7 higher than for absorption contrast. Talbot interferometry with a plane wave increased detectability for 0.1-mm tumor and glandular structures by a factor of 3-4 at equal dose, whereas absorption contrast was the preferred method for structures larger than similar to 0.5 mm. Microcalcifications are small, but differ from soft tissue in atomic number more than density, which is favored by absorption contrast, and Talbot interferometry was barely beneficial at all within the resolution limit of the system. Further. Talbot interferometry favored detection of "sharp" as opposed to "smooth" structures, and discrimination tasks by about 50% compared to detection tasks. The technique was relatively insensitive to spectrum bandwidth, whereas the projected source size was more important. If equal photon economy was added as a restriction, phase-contrast efficiency was reduced so that the benefit for detection tasks almost vanished compared to absorption contrast, but discrimination tasks were still improved close to a factor of 2 at the resolution limit. Conclusions: Cascaded-systems analysis enables comprehensive and intuitive evaluation of phase-contrast efficiency in relation to absorption contrast under requirements of equal dose, equal geometry, and equal photon economy. The benefit of Talbot interferometry was highly dependent on task, in particular detection versus discrimination tasks, and target size, shape, and material. Requiring equal photon economy weakened the benefit of Talbot interferometry in mammography.
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| 15. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Imaging with multi-prism x-ray lenses
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2008 - Physics of Medical Imaging. - : SPIE. - 9780819470973 ; , s. 91308-91308
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The multi-prism lens (MPL) is a refractive x-ray lens consisting of two rows of prisms facing each other at an angle. Rays entering the lens at the periphery will encounter a larger number of prisms than will central ones, hence experiencing a greater refraction. The focusing effect of the MPL can be used to gather radiation from a large aperture onto a smaller detector, and accordingly to make better use of the available x-ray flux in medical x-ray imaging. Potential advantages of a better photon economy include shorter acquisition times, a reduced tube loading, or an improved resolution. Since the focusing effect is one-dimensional it matches the design of scanning systems. In this study we present the first images acquired with an MPL instead of the pre-breast slit collimator in a scanning mammography system. According to the measurements, the MPL is able to increase the flux 32% at equal resolution compared to the slit collimator, or to improve the resolution 2.4 mm(-1) at equal flux. If used with a custom-made absorption filter in a clinical set-up, the gain of flux of the MPL is expected to be at least 45%, and the corresponding improvement in resolution to be 3 mm(-1).
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| 16. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
In-line x-ray focusing optics used for manipulation of x-rays in medical transmission radiography
- 2021
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- There is provided an arrangement including an x-ray detector arranged in conjunction with in-line x-ray focusing optics configured for manipulation of x-rays in medical transmission radiography, wherein the in-line x-ray optics includes an array of lenses, in which the lenses cover parts of, or the entire, field of view, and in which the x-ray detector is a photon-counting detector. Furthermore, the x-ray detector is an energy-resolving detector and chromatic aberration of the lens array and/or limited coherence of the source is compensated for by the energy resolution of the energy-resolving detector, and/or the x-ray detector is a depth-resolving detector and chromatic aberration of the lens array and/or limited coherence of the source is compensated for by depth resolution or volumetric resolution in the detector.
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| 17. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Measurement of breast-tissue x-ray attenuation by spectral imaging: fresh and fixed normal and malignant tissue
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 63:23
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowledge of x-ray attenuation is essential for developing and evaluating x-ray imaging technologies. In mammography, measurement of breast density, dose estimation, and differentiation between cysts and solid tumours are example applications requiring accurate data on tissue attenuation. Published attenuation data are, however, sparse and cover a relatively wide range. To supplement available data we have previously measured the attenuation of cyst fluid and solid lesions using photon-counting spectral mammography. The present study aims to measure the attenuation of normal adipose and glandular tissue, and to measure the effect of formalin fixation, a major uncertainty in published data. A total of 27 tumour specimens, 7 fibro-glandular tissue specimens, and 15 adipose tissue specimens were included. Spectral (energy-resolved) images of the samples were acquired and the image signal was mapped to equivalent thicknesses of two known reference materials, from which x-ray attenuation as a function of energy can be derived. The spread in attenuation between samples was relatively large, partly because of natural variation. The variation of malignant and glandular tissue was similar, whereas that of adipose tissue was lower. Formalin fixation slightly altered the attenuation of malignant and glandular tissue, whereas the attenuation of adipose tissue was not significantly affected. The difference in attenuation between fresh tumour tissue and cyst fluid was smaller than has previously been measured for fixed tissue, but the difference was still significant and discrimination of these two tissue types is still possible. The difference between glandular and malignant tissue was close-to significant; it is reasonable to expect a significant difference with a larger set of samples. We believe that our studies have contributed to lower the overall uncertainty of breast tissue attenuation in the literature due to the relatively large sample sets, the novel measurement method, and by clarifying the difference between fresh and fixed tissue.
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| 18. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Measurement of breast-tissue x-ray attenuation by spectral mammography: first results on cyst fluid
- 2013
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Ingår i: Physics in Medicine and Biology. - : IOP Publishing. - 0031-9155 .- 1361-6560. ; 58:24
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowledge of x-ray attenuation is essential for developing and evaluating x-ray imaging technologies. For instance, techniques to better characterize cysts at mammography screening would be highly desirable to reduce recalls, but the development is hampered by the lack of attenuation data for cysts. We have developed a method to measure x-ray attenuation of tissue samples using a prototype photon-counting spectral mammography unit. The method was applied to measure the attenuation of 50 samples of breast cyst fluid and 50 samples of water. Spectral (energy-resolved) images of the samples were acquired and the image signal was mapped to equivalent thicknesses of two known reference materials, which can be used to derive the x-ray attenuation as a function of energy. The attenuation of cyst fluid was found to be significantly different from water. There was a relatively large natural spread between different samples of cyst fluid, whereas the homogeneity of each individual sample was found to be good; the variation within samples did not reach above the quantum noise floor. The spectral method proved stable between several measurements on the same sample. Further, chemical analysis and elemental attenuation calculation were used to validate the spectral measurement on a subset of the samples. The two methods agreed within the precision of the elemental attenuation calculation over the mammographic energy range.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Observer model optimization of a spectral mammography system
- 2010
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2010. - : SPIE. - 9780819480231
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spectral imaging is a method in medical x-ray imaging to extract information about the object constituents by the material-specific energy dependence of x-ray attenuation. Contrast-enhanced spectral imaging has been thoroughly investigated, but unenhanced imaging may be more useful because it comes as a bonus to the conventional non-energy-resolved absorption image at screening; there is no additional radiation dose and no need for contrast medium. We have used a previously developed theoretical framework and system model that include quantum and anatomical noise to characterize the performance of a photon-counting spectral mammography system with two energy bins for unenhanced imaging. The theoretical framework was validated with synthesized images. Optimal combination of the energy-resolved images for detecting large unenhanced tumors corresponded closely, but not exactly, to minimization of the anatomical noise, which is commonly referred to as energy subtraction. In that case, an ideal-observer detectability index could be improved close to 50% compared to absorption imaging. Optimization with respect to the signal-to-quantum-noise ratio, commonly referred to as energy weighting, deteriorated detectability. For small microcalcifications or tumors on uniform backgrounds, however, energy subtraction was suboptimal whereas energy weighting provided a minute improvement. The performance was largely independent of beam quality, detector energy resolution, and bin count fraction. It is clear that inclusion of anatomical noise and imaging task in spectral optimization may yield completely different results than an analysis based solely on quantum noise.
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| 21. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Optimization of mammography with respect to anatomical noise
- 2011
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2011. - : SPIE.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Beam quality optimization in mammography traditionally considers detection of a target obscured by quantum noise on a homogenous background. It can be argued that this scheme does not correspond well to the clinical imaging task because real mammographic images contain a complex superposition of anatomical structures, resulting in anatomical noise that may dominate over quantum noise. Using a newly developed spectral mammography system, we measured the correlation and magnitude of the anatomical noise in a set of mammograms. The results from these measurements were used as input to an observer-model optimization that included quantum noise as well as anatomical noise. We found that, within this framework, the detectability of tumors and microcalcifications behaved very differently with respect to beam quality and dose. The results for small microcalcifications were similar to what traditional optimization methods would yield, which is to be expected since quantum noise dominates over anatomical noise at high spatial frequencies. For larger tumors, however, low-frequency anatomical noise was the limiting factor. Because anatomical structure has similar energy dependence as tumor contrast, optimal x-ray energy was significantly higher and the useful energy region wider than traditional methods suggest. Measurements on a tissue phantom confirmed these theoretical results. Furthermore, since quantum noise constitutes only a small fraction of the noise, the dose could be reduced substantially without sacrificing tumor detectability. Exposure settings used clinically are therefore not necessarily optimal for this imaging task. The impact of these findings on the mammographic imaging task as a whole is, however, at this stage unclear.
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| 22. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Phase contrast imaging apparatus
- 2016
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Patent (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- An x-ray imaging system includes an x-ray source, an x-ray detector including a plurality of detector strips arranged in a first direction of the x-ray detector. Each detector strip includes a plurality of detector pixels arranged in a second direction of the x-ray detector. A phase grating and a plurality of analyzer gratings including grating slits are disposed between the x-ray source and detectors. The x-ray source and the x-ray detector are adapted to perform a scanning movement in relation to an object in the first direction, in order to scan the object. Each of the plurality of analyzer gratings (162) is arranged in association with a respective detector strip with the grating slits arranged in the second direction. The grating slits of the analyzer gratings of the detector strips are offset relative to each other in the second direction.
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| 23. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Photon-Counting Spectral Phase-Contrast Mammography
- 2012
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2012. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering. - 9780819489623
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phase-contrast imaging is an emerging technology that may increase the signal-difference-to-noise ratio in medical imaging. One of the most promising phase-contrast techniques is Talbot interferometry, which, combined with energy-sensitive photon-counting detectors, enables spectral differential phase-contrast mammography. We have evaluated a realistic system based on this technique by cascaded-systems analysis and with a task-dependent ideal-observer detectability index as a figure-of-merit. Beam-propagation simulations were used for validation and illustration of the analytical framework. Differential phase contrast improved detectability compared to absorption contrast, in particular for fine tumor structures. This result was supported by images of human mastectomy samples that were acquired with a conventional detector. The optimal incident energy was higher in differential phase contrast than in absorption contrast when disregarding the setup design energy. Further, optimal weighting of the transmitted spectrum was found to have a weaker energy dependence than for absorption contrast. Taking the design energy into account yielded a superimposed maximum on both detectability as a function of incident energy, and on optimal weighting. Spectral material decomposition was not facilitated by phase contrast, but phase information may be used instead of spectral information.
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| 24. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Prism-array lenses for energy filtering in medical X-ray imaging
- 2007
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2007: Physics of Medical Imaging. - BELLINGHAM : SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING. - 9780819466280 ; , s. U270-U281
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conventional energy filters for x-ray imaging are based on absorbing materials which attenuate low energy photons, sometimes combined with an absorption edge, thus also discriminating towards 'photons of higher energies. These filters are fairly inefficient, in particular for photons of higher energies, and other methods for achieving a narrower bandwidth have been proposed. Such methods include various types of monochromators, based on for instance mosaic crystals or refractive multi-prism x-ray lenses (MPL's). Prism-array lenses (PAL's) are similar to MPL's, but are shorter, have larger apertures, and higher transmission. A PAL consists of a number of small prisms arranged in columns perpendicular to the optical axis. The column height decreases along the optical axis so that the projection of lens material is approximately linear with a Resnel phase-plate pattern superimposed on it. The focusing effect is one dimensional, and the lens is chromatic. Hence, unwanted energies can be blocked by placing a slit in the image plane of a desired energy. We present the first experimental and theoretical results on an energy filter based on a silicon PAL. The study includes an evaluation of the spectral shaping properties of the filter as well as a quantification of the achievable increase in dose efficiency compared to standard methods. Previously, PAL's have been investigated with synchrotron radiation, but in this study a medical imaging setup, based on a regular x-ray tube, is considered.
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| 25. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-
(författare)
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Spectral and dual-energy X-ray imaging for medical applications
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 878, s. 74-87
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spectral imaging is an umbrella term for energy-resolved x-ray imaging in medicine. The technique makes use of the energy dependence of x-ray attenuation to either increase the contrast-to-noise ratio, or to provide quantitative image data and reduce image artefacts by so-called material decomposition. Spectral imaging is not new, but has gained interest in recent years because of rapidly increasing availability of spectral and dual-energy CT and the dawn of energy-resolved photon-counting detectors. This review examines the current technological status of spectral and dual-energy imaging and a number of practical applications of the technology.
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| 26. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, 1979-
(författare)
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Spectral Mammography with X-Ray Optics and a Photon-Counting Detector
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Early detection is vital to successfully treating breast cancer, and mammography screening is the most efficient and wide-spread method to reach this goal. Imaging low-contrast targets, while minimizing the radiation exposure to a large population is, however, a major challenge. Optimizing the image quality per unit radiation dose is therefore essential. In this thesis, two optimization schemes with respect to x-ray photon energy have been investigated: filtering the incident spectrum with refractive x-ray optics (spectral shaping), and utilizing the transmitted spectrum with energy-resolved photon-counting detectors (spectral imaging). Two types of x-ray lenses were experimentally characterized, and modeled using ray tracing, field propagation, and geometrical optics. Spectral shaping reduced dose approximately 20% compared to an absorption-filtered reference system with the same signal-to-noise ratio, scan time, and spatial resolution. In addition, a focusing pre-object collimator based on the same type of optics reduced divergence of the radiation and improved photon economy by about 50%. A photon-counting silicon detector was investigated in terms of energy resolution and its feasibility for spectral imaging. Contrast-enhanced tumor imaging with a system based on the detector was characterized and optimized with a model that took anatomical noise into account. Improvement in an ideal-observer detectability index by a factor of 2 to 8 over that obtained by conventional absorption imaging was found for different levels of anatomical noise and breast density. Increased conspicuity was confirmed by experiment. Further, the model was extended to include imaging of unenhanced lesions. Detectability of microcalcifications increased no more than a few percent, whereas the ability to detect large tumors might improve on the order of 50% despite the low attenuation difference between glandular and cancerous tissue. It is clear that inclusion of anatomical noise and imaging task in spectral optimization may yield completely different results than an analysis based solely on quantum noise.
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| 27. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Volumetric Breast-Density Measurement Using Spectral Photon-Counting Tomosynthesis : First Clinical Results
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Measurements of breast density have the potential to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of screening mammography through personalized screening. Breast density has traditionally been evaluated from the dense area in a mammogram, but volumetric assessment methods, which measure the volumetric fraction of fibro-glandular tissue in the breast, are potentially more consistent and physically sound. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate a method for measuring the volumetric breast density using photon-counting spectral tomosynthesis. The performance of the method was evaluated using phantom measurements and clinical data from a small population (n=18). The precision was determined to 2.4 percentage points (pp) of volumetric breast density. Strong correlations were observed between contralateral (R2=0.95) and ipsilateral () breast-density measurements. The measured breast density was anti-correlated to breast thickness, as expected, and exhibited a skewed distribution in the range [3.7%, 55%] and with a median of 18%. We conclude that the method yields promising results that are consistent with expectations. The relatively high precision of the method may enable novel applications such as treatment monitoring.
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| 28. |
- Nillius, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Large-aperture focusing of high-energy x rays with a rolled polyimide film
- 2011
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Ingår i: Optics Letters. - 0146-9592 .- 1539-4794. ; 36:4, s. 555-557
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We describe a point-focusing x-ray lens made of a rolled polyimide film with etched prisms. The resulting lens is a cylinder with a large number of prisms forming an internal conic structure. The method allows for the manufacturing of lenses with large apertures and short focal lengths, for energies up to at least 100 keV. In order to evaluate the concept, we have hand-rolled a few lenses and evaluated them at a synchrotron source. The measured performance of the prototype is promising, and deviations from the theoretical limits are quantitatively explained. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America
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| 29. |
- Norell, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Lesion characterization using spectral mammography
- 2012
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2012. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a novel method for characterizing mammographic findings using spectral imaging without the use of contrast agent. Within a statistical framework, suspicious findings are analyzed to determine if they are likely to be benign cystic lesions or malignant tissue. To evaluate the method, we have designed a phantom where combinations of different tissue types are realized by decomposition into the material bases aluminum and polyethylene. The results indicate that the lesion size limit for reliable characterization is below 10 mm diameter, when quantum noise is the only considered source of uncertainty. Furthermore, preliminary results using clinical images are encouraging, but allow no conclusions with significance.
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| 30. |
- Norrlid, Lilian del Risco, et al.
(författare)
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Imaging of small children prototype for photon counting tomosynthesis
- 2009
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2009. - : SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present data on a first prototype for photon counting tomosynthesis imaging of small children, which we call photoncounting tomosynthesis (PCT). A photon counting detector can completely eliminate electronic noise, which makes it ideal for tomosynthesis because of the low dose in each projection. Another advantage is that the detector allows for energy sensitivity in later versions, which will further lower the radiation dose. In-plane resolution is high and has been measured to be 5lp/mm, at least 4 times better than in CT, while the depth resolution was significantly lower than typical CT resolution. The image SNR decreased from 30 to 10 for a detail of 10 mm depth in increasing thickness of PMMA from 10 to 80 mm. The air kerma measured for PCT was 5.2 mGy, which leads to an organ dose to the brain of approximately 0.7 mGy. This dose is 96 % lower than a typical CT dose. PCT can be appealing for pediatric imaging since young children have an increased sensitivity to radiation induced cancers. We have acquired post mortem images of a newborn with the new device and with a state-of-the-art CT and compared the diagnostic information and dose levels of the two modalities. The results are promising but more work is needed to provide input to a next generation prototype that would be suitable for clinical trials.
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| 31. |
- Yveborg, Moa, et al.
(författare)
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Photon-counting CT with silicon detectors : feasibility for pediatric imaging
- 2009
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Ingår i: Medical Imaging 2009. - : SPIE. - 9780819475091
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- X-ray detectors made of crystalline silicon have several advantages including low dark currents, fast charge collection and high energy resolution. For high-energy x-rays, however, silicon suffers from its low atomic number, which might result in low detection efficiency, as well as low energy and spatial resolution due to Compton scattering. We have used a monte-carlo model to investigate the feasibility of a detector for pediatric CT with 30 to 40 mm of silicon using x-ray spectra ranging from 80 to 140 kVp. A detection efficiency of 0.74 was found at 80 kVp, provided the noise threshold could be set low. Scattered photons were efficiently blocked by a thin metal shielding between the detector units, and Compton scattering in the detector could be well separated from photo absorption at 80 kVp. Hence, the detector is feasible at low acceleration voltages, which is also suitable for pediatric imaging. We conclude that silicon detectors may be an alternative to other designs for this special case.
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| 32. |
- Åslund, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Spectral shaping for photon counting digital mammography
- 2007
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 580:2, s. 1046-1049
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The spectral shaping properties of conventional filters have been evaluated for a photon counting digital mammography system, and the result has been compared with the theoretical spectrum from a multi-prism X-ray lens (MPL). The absorption filters and the MPL were evaluated using a theoretical model of the system which has been verified experimentally. The spectral shaping performance is quantified with the spectral quantum efficiency (SQE), calculated as the polychromatic signal-difference-to-noise ratio (SDNR) squared over the optimal monochromatic SDNR squared at the same average glandular dose. The MPL increases the SQE by 25% compared to the investigated absorption filter when compared with a Tungsten anode. This translates into a potential dose reduction of 20% at maintained SDNR.
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