Ke Li MS, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

John W. Garrett MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yongshuai Ge, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Guang-Hong Chen PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Research funded, General Electric Company Research funded, Siemens AG Research funded, Varian Medical Systems, Inc Research funded, Hologic, Inc

To systematically investigate the feasibility and clinical relevance of graing-based x-ray differential phase contrast (DPC) tomosynthesis imaging constructed based on the hardware setup of a clinical digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system.

The feasibility of DPC tomosynthesis imaging was first demonstrated using a benchtop system (40 kVp, 80 micron pixel size), from which tomosynthetic images of three different contrasts (refraction angle, phase shift, and absorption) of physical phantoms were acquired. Next, the feasibility of DPC tomosynthesis imaging using the hardware setup of a clinical digital breast tomosynthesis system with a rotary x-ray source and static detector (Hologic Selenia Dimensions) was studied using a framework that quantitatively relates the detection performance of DPC tomosynthesis with the associated absorption DBT. X-ray spectrum, noise power spectrum, and MTF of the absorption DBT involved in the framework was physically measured and the imaging task was created based on the materials' phase and absorption properties provided by NIST.

Reconstructions of physical phantoms show improved signal difference to noise ratio (SDNR) compared with absorption images acquired under the same exposure (SDNRPMMA = 5.9 and 0.6 for DPC and absorption, respectively). Equivalent spatial resolution for the two contrast mechanisms was observed. Design parameters of the DPC tomosynthesis system are compatible with the current clinical DBT system. The accuracy of the framework that predicts detectability in DPC-DBT was validated experimentally, and it suggests that the DPC mechanism will result in improved detectability of both small objects (e.g. calcification) and irregular-shaped objects (e.g. spiculated lesions).

It is feasible to build a DPC tomosynthesis system using the hardware setup of an existing clinical DBT system. The system shows promise in improving lesion and calcification detectability, and therefore merits further investigation. 

This study demonstrates potential improvement in lesion/calcification detection performance by combining the DPC mechanism with the tomosynthesis imaging method.

Li, K, Garrett, J, Ge, Y, Chen, G, X-ray Differential Phase Contrast Tomosynthesis Imaging based on a Clinical Digital Breast Tomosynthesis System.  Radiological Society of North America 2013 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1 - December 6, 2013 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2013/13024360.html