Experimental validation of Monte Carlo (MANTIS) simulated x-ray response of columnar CsI scintillator screens.
OBJECTIVE
MANTIS is a Monte Carlo code developed for the detailed simulation of columnar CsI scintillator screens in x-ray imaging systems. Validation of this code is needed to provide a reliable and valuable tool for system optimization and accurate reconstructions for a variety of x-ray applications. Whereas previous validation efforts have focused on matching of summary statistics, in this work the authors examine the complete point response function (PRF) of the detector system in addition to relative light output values.


METHODS
Relative light output values and high-resolution PRFs have been experimentally measured with a custom setup. A corresponding set of simulated light output values and PRFs have also been produced, where detailed knowledge of the experimental setup and CsI:Tl screen structures are accounted for in the simulations. Four different screens were investigated with different thicknesses, column tilt angles, and substrate types. A quantitative comparison between the experimental and simulated PRFs was performed for four different incidence angles (0 degrees, 15 degrees, 30 degrees, and 45 degrees) and two different x-ray spectra (40 and 70 kVp). The figure of merit (FOM) used measures the normalized differences between the simulated and experimental data averaged over a region of interest.


RESULTS
Experimental relative light output values ranged from 1.456 to 1.650 and were in approximate agreement for aluminum substrates, but poor agreement for graphite substrates. The FOMs for all screen types, incidence angles, and energies ranged from 0.1929 to 0.4775. To put these FOMs in context, the same FOM was computed for 2D symmetric Gaussians fit to the same experimental data. These FOMs ranged from 0.2068 to 0.8029. Our analysis demonstrates that MANTIS reproduces experimental PRFs with higher accuracy than a symmetric 2D Gaussian fit to the experimental data in the majority of cases. Examination of the spatial distribution of differences between the PRFs shows that the main reason for errors between MANTIS and the experimental data is that MANTIS-generated PRFs are sharper than the experimental PRFs.


CONCLUSIONS
The experimental validation of MANTIS performed in this study demonstrates that MANTIS is able to reliably predict experimental PRFs, especially for thinner screens, and can reproduce the highly asymmetric shape seen in the experimental data. As a result, optimizations and reconstructions carried out using MANTIS should yield results indicative of actual detector performance. Better characterization of screen properties is necessary to reconcile the simulated light output values with experimental data.
Freed
Melanie
M
CDRH/NIBIB Laboratory for the Assessment of Medical Imaging Systems, Division of Imaging and Applied Mathematics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993-0002, USA. melanie.freed@fda.hhs.gov
Miller
Stuart
S
Tang
Katherine
K
Badano
Aldo
A
D000535:Aluminum; D002586:Cesium; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006108:Graphite; D006801:Humans; D007454:Iodides; D008027:Light; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D016011:Normal Distribution; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012986:Software Validation; D014965:X-Rays
D007454:Iodides; D002586:Cesium; D006108:Graphite; D000535:Aluminum; C040050:cesium iodide