title: Dual-energy digital mammography utilizing stimulated phosphor computed radiography.
abstract: Dual-energy subtraction is a radiographic technique for the acquisition of a material selective image by the weighted subtraction of low- and high-energy digital X-ray images. This is achieved by exploiting the energy dependence of the X-ray attenuation components in the image. This can allow the removal of background morphology to enhance the presentation of otherwise obscured details. The detection of microcalcifications in a mammogram by dual-energy techniques has previously been investigated. These investigations indicated that, using dual-energy techniques, small microcalcifications could be extracted from the background breast morphology with sufficient signal to noise ratio (SNR) to be full visualized. The authors present the extension of a theoretical dual-energy model to incorporate practical considerations and then compare the results with experimentally derived data using a commercially available computed radiography system. In particular the extended model now takes into account the energy dependent detective quantum efficiency of a system. This is thought to be a major factor in reducing the efficiency of dual-energy mammography. The theoretical model predicts that dual-exposure dual-energy mammography, utilizing HRIII image plates, could not provide a detail SNR of five for calcifications smaller than 470 mu m. The experimental results verify this and indicate that dual-energy subtraction mammography, utilizing computed radiography, is currently not a viable technique for the detection of clinically significant microcalcifications. Further advances in X-ray image detector efficiency will be required if the full potential of this technique is to be achieved.
authors.affiliation: FAXIL, The Wellcome Wing, The General Infirmary, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Brettle
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Cowen
mesh_terms: D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000737:chemistry; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D013382:Subtraction Technique
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus