title: Dual-energy imaging in full-field digital mammography: a phantom study.
abstract: A dual-energy technique which employs the basis decomposition method is being investigated for application to digital mammography. A three-component phantom, made up of plexiglas, polyethylene, and water, was doubly exposed with the full-field digital mammography system manufactured by General Electric. The 'low' and 'high' energy images were recorded with a Mo/Mo anode-filter combination and a Rh/Rh combination, respectively. The total dose was kept within the acceptable levels of conventional mammography. The first hybrid images obtained with the dual-energy algorithm are presented in comparison with a conventional radiograph of the phantom. Image-quality characteristics at contrast cancellation angles between plexiglas and water are discussed. Preliminary results show that a combination of a standard Mo-anode 28 kV radiograph with a Rh-anode 49 kV radiograph provides the best compromise between image-quality and dose in the hybrid image.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara and INFN, Sezione di Ferrara, via Paradiso 12, 44100 Ferrara, Italy. taibi@fe.infn.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taibi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baldelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: di Maggio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gennaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marziani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuffanelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gambaccini
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002138:Calibration; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media