title: Physical characterization of a scanning photon counting digital mammography system based on Si-strip detectors.
abstract: The physical performance of a scanning multislit full field digital mammography system was determined using basic image quality parameters. The system employs a direct detection detector comprised of linear silicon strip sensors in an edge-on geometry connected to photon counting electronics. The pixel size is 50 microm and the field of view 24 x 26 cm2. The performance was quantified using the presampled modulation transfer function, the normalized noise power spectrum and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE). Compared to conventional DQE methods, the scanning geometry with its intrinsic scatter rejection poses additional requirements on the measurement setup, which are investigated in this work. The DQE of the photon counting system was found to be independent of the dose level to the detector in the 7.6-206 microGy range. The peak DQE was 72% and 73% in the scan and slit direction, respectively, measured with a 28 kV W-0.5 mm Al anode-filter combination with an added 2 mm Al filtration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aslund
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cederström
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lundqvist
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danielsson
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D017785:Photons; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012825:Silicon / Q000528:radiation effects; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D012825:Silicon