Yuncheng Zhong PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Tao Han, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Zhicheng You, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Chao-Jen Lai PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Youtao Shen, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Chris Chorng-Gang Shaw PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Xinming Liu PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tianpeng Wang, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Shuaiping Ge MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ying Yi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Digital tomosynthesis (DTS) imaging with 2D scanning patterns may help reduce the artifacts by more effective blurring the off-fulcrum objects. In this study, the effects of various source scanning patterns on the reconstructed images are studied via simulation.

The X-ray source was assumed to be moved following various scanning patterns. The source-to-iso-center and source-to-image distances were assumed to be 500 mm and 600 mm, respectively. Projection images were computed using a ray tracing based algorithm for four different scanning patterns: 1x14, 2x13, 13x2, and 5x5. The objects studied included a point-like phantom and a digital breast phantom constructed from segmented cone beam CT images. The X-ray absorption coefficients were taken of mono-energetic X-ray at 17.5 keV. The objects were reconstructed using the iterative expectation-maximization algorithm.

Cross-sectional views of the reconstructed object are overlapped with contours of tissue structures from the digital breast phantom for comparison. The accuracy of the reconstructed tissue structures was assessed along with the signal uniformity in the dense tissue and adipose tissue regions. The comparison shows that the 2x13 and 5x5 scanning patterns resulted in better accuracy and signal uniformity. Reconstructed images for the point-like phantom show that the 2x13 and 5x5 scanning patterns resulted in more effective blurring of the objects in off-fulcrum planes.

Our results demonstrated that the use of 2D source scanning patterns has the potential advantage of more effectively blurring objects in off-fulcrum planes, thus resulting in more accurate image reconstruction.

We demonstrated the use of a new DTS imaging technique which may reduce the artifacts and improve the quality of reconstructed images for potentially better screening and diagnosis in breast imaging.

Zhong, Y, Han, T, You, Z, Lai, C, Shen, Y, Shaw, C, Liu, X, Wang, T, Ge, S, Yi, Y, Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Using 2D Source Scanning Patterns: A Simulation Study.  Radiological Society of North America 2010 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2010 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2010/9012208.html