title: X-ray imaging optimization using virtual phantoms and computerized observer modelling.
abstract: This study develops and demonstrates a realistic x-ray imaging simulator with computerized observers to maximize lesion detectability and minimize patient exposure. A software package, ViPRIS, incorporating two computational patient phantoms, has been developed for simulating x-ray radiographic images. A tomographic phantom, VIP-Man, constructed from Visible Human anatomical colour images is used to simulate the scattered portion using the ESGnrc Monte Carlo code. The primary portion of an x-ray image is simulated using the projection ray-tracing method through the Visible Human CT data set. To produce a realistic image, the software simulates quantum noise, blurring effects, lesions, detector absorption efficiency and other imaging artefacts. The primary and scattered portions of an x-ray chest image are combined to form a final image for computerized observer studies and image quality analysis. Absorbed doses in organs and tissues of the segmented VIP-Man phantom were also obtained from the Monte Carlo simulations. Approximately 25,000 simulated images and 2,500,000 data files were analysed using computerized observers. Hotelling and Laguerre-Gauss Hotelling observers are used to perform various lesion detection tasks. Several model observer tasks were used including SKE/BKE, MAFC and SKEV. The energy levels and fluence at the minimum dose required to detect a small lesion were determined with respect to lesion size, location and system parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
authors.forename: I-Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winslow
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: X G
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011786:Quality Control; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D012984:Software; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*