Affiliations: [a] Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, U.S.A. | [b] Department of Radiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35249, U.S.A. | [c] Department of Radiology and Imaging Science, The University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake-City, UT 74132, U.S.A.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE:The objective of this phantom study is to demonstrate the potential of utilizing mid-energy x-rays for in-line phase-sensitive breast cancer imaging by phantom studies. METHODS:The midenergy (50–80 kV) in-line phase sensitive imaging prototype was used to acquire images of the contrast-detail mammography (CDMAM) phantom, an ACR accreditation phantom, and an acrylic edge phantom. The low-dose mid-energy phase-sensitive images were acquired at 60 kV with a radiation dose of 0.9 mGy, while the high-energy phase-sensitive images were acquired at 90 kV with a radiation dose of 1.2 mGy. The Phase-Attenuation Duality (PAD) principle for soft tissue was used for the phase retrieval. A blind observer study was conducted and paired-sample T-test were performed to compare the mean differences in the two imaging systems. RESULTS:The correct detection ratio for the CDMAM phantom for phase-contrast images acquired by the low-dose mid-energy system was 56.91%, whereas images acquired by the high-energy system correctly revealed only 40.97% of discs. The correct detection ratios were 57.88% and 43.41% for phase-retrieved images acquired by the low-dose mid-energy and high-energy imaging systems, respectively. The reading scores for all three groups of objects in the ACR phantom were higher for the mid energy imaging system as compared to the high-energy system for both phase-contrast and phase-retrieved images. The calculated edge enhancement index (EEI) from the acrylic edge phantom image for the mid-energy system was higher than that calculated for the high-energy imaging system. The quantitative analyses showed a higher Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) as well as a higher Figure of Merit (FOM) in images acquired by the low-dose mid-energy imaging system. CONCLUSION:The PAD based retrieval method can be applied in mid-energy system without remarkably affecting the image quality, and in fact, it improves the lesion detectability with a patient dose saving of 25%.
