Investigation of transmission computed tomography (CT) image quality and x-ray dose achievable from an experimental dual-mode benchtop x-ray fluorescence CT and transmission CT system

Luzhen Deng, Selcuk Yasar, Md Foiez Ahmed, Sandun Jayarathna, Peng Feng, Biao Wei, Srinivasan Vedantham, Andrew Karellas, Sang Hyun Cho

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the image quality and x-ray dose associated with a transmission computed tomography (CT) component implemented within the same platform of an experimental benchtop x-ray fluorescence CT (XFCT) system for multimodal preclinical imaging applications. Methods: Cone-beam CT scans were performed using an experimental benchtop CT + XFCT system and a cylindrically-shaped 3D-printed polymethyl methacrylate phantom (3 cm in diameter, 7 cm in height) loaded with various concentrations (0.05-1 wt. %) of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Two commercial CT quality assurance phantoms containing 3D line-pair (LP) targets and contrast targets were also scanned. The x-ray beams of 40 and 62 kVp, both filtered by 0.08 mm Cu and 0.4 mm Al, were used with 17 ms of exposure time per projection at three current settings (2.5, 5, and 10 mA). The ordered-subset simultaneous algebraic reconstruction and total variation-minimization methods were used to reconstruct images. Sparse projection and short scan were considered to reduce the x-ray dose. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and modulation transfer function (MTF) were calculated. Results: The lowest detectable concentration of GNPs (CNR > 5) and the highest spatial resolution (per MTF50%) were 0.10 wt. % and 9.5 LP/CM, respectively, based on the images reconstructed from 360 projections of the 40 kVp beam (or x-ray dose of 3.44 cGy). The background noise for the image resulting in the lowest GNP detection limit was 25 Hounsfield units. Conclusion: The transmission CT component within the current experimental benchtop CT + XFCT system produced images deemed acceptable for multimodal (CT + XFCT) imaging purposes, with less than 4 cGy of x-ray dose.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)431-442
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of X-Ray Science and Technology
Volume27
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019

Keywords

  • Computed tomography
  • image resolution
  • x-ray dose
  • x-ray fluorescence computed tomography

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiation
  • Instrumentation
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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