title: Usefulness of a small-field digital mammographic imaging system using parabolic polycapillary optics as a diagnostic imaging tool: a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy for spatial resolution and radiation dose of a small-field digital mammographic imaging system using parabolic polycapillary optics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a small-field digital mammographic imaging system composed of a CCD (charge coupled device) detector and an X-ray source coupled with parabolic polycapillary optics. The spatial resolution and radiation dose according to various filters were evaluated for a small-field digital mammographic imaging system. The images of a test standard phantom and breast cancer tissue sample were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The small-field digital mammographic imaging system had spatial resolutions of 12 lp/mm with molybdenum and rhodium filters with a 25-microm thickness. With a thicker molybdenum filter (100 microm thick), the system had a higher spatial resolution of 11 lp/mm and contrast of 0.48. The radiation dose for a rhodium filter with a 25-microm thickness was 0.13 mGy within a 10-mm-diameter local field. A larger field image greater than 10 mm in diameter could be obtained by scanning an object. On the small-field mammographic imaging system, microcalcifications of breast cancer tissue were clearly observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A small-field digital mammographic imaging system with parabolic polycapillary optics may be a useful diagnostic tool for providing high-resolution imaging with a low radiation dose for examination of local volumes of breast tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Science, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongbuk 712-702, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwon Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.forename: Jeong Gon
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun Hwa
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Sung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Seong Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hye-Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hun Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwon-Ha
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008982:Molybdenum; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012238:Rhodium
chemical_list: D008982:Molybdenum; D012238:Rhodium