title: Dose and detectability improvements with high energy phase sensitive x-ray imaging in comparison to low energy conventional imaging.
abstract: The objective of this study was to demonstrate the potential benefits of using high energy x-rays for phase sensitive breast imaging through a comparison with conventional mammography imaging. We compared images of a contrast-detail phantom acquired on a prototype phase sensitive x-ray imaging system with images acquired on a commercial flat panel digital mammography unit. The phase contrast images were acquired using a micro-focus x-ray source with a 50 µm focal spot at 120 kVp and 4.5 mAs, with a magnification factor of 2.46 and a 50 µm pixel pitch. A phase attenuation duality-based phase retrieval algorithm that requires only a single phase contrast image was applied. Conventional digital mammography images were acquired at 27 kVp, 131 mAs and 28 kVp, 54 mAs. For the same radiation dose, both the observer study and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)/figure of merit comparisons indicated a large improvement by the phase retrieved image as compared to the clinical system for the larger disc sizes, but the improvement was not enough to detect the smallest discs. Compared to the double dose image acquired with the clinical system, the observer study also indicated that the phase retrieved image provided improved detection capabilities for all disc sizes except the smallest discs. Thus the SNR improvement provided by phase contrast imaging is not yet enough to offset the noise reduction provided by the clinical system at the doubled dose level. However, the potential demonstrated by this study for high energy phase sensitive x-ray imaging to improve lesion detection and reduce radiation dose in mammography warrants further investigation of this technique.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioengineering and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, 110 West Boyd Street, Devon Energy Hall 150, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
authors.forename: Molly Donovan
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghani
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fajardo
authors.forename: Xizeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
references.citation: Radiology. 2002 Dec;225(3):801-7
references.pmid: 12461264
references.citation: Opt Express. 2010 Jul 19;18(15):16074-89
references.pmid: 20720992
references.citation: Radiology. 2011 Jun;259(3):684-94
references.pmid: 21436089
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Sep 26;103(39):14626-30
references.pmid: 16973748
references.citation: J Xray Sci Technol. 2011;19(4):509-19
references.pmid: 25214383
references.citation: Invest Radiol. 2005 Jul;40(7):385-96
references.pmid: 15973129
references.citation: Opt Express. 2008 Aug 18;16(17):13330-41
references.pmid: 18711570
references.citation: Radiology. 1994 Oct;193(1):83-9
references.pmid: 8090926
references.citation: Radiol Med. 2013 Feb;118(1):89-100
references.pmid: 22744351
references.citation: Med Phys. 2003 Nov;30(11):2888-96
references.pmid: 14655935
references.citation: Med Phys. 1999 Jul;26(7):1349-58
references.pmid: 10435537
references.citation: Appl Opt. 2008 Aug 1;47(22):E44-52
references.pmid: 18670541
references.citation: Phys Med Biol. 1999 Nov;44(11):2853-66
references.pmid: 10588289
references.citation: J Opt Soc Am. 1948 Feb;38(2):196-208
references.pmid: 18901781
references.citation: Phys Med Biol. 1998 Oct;43(10):2845-52
references.pmid: 9814522
references.citation: Med Phys. 2007 Feb;34(2):737-43
references.pmid: 17388191
references.citation: Phys Med Biol. 1998 Sep;43(9):2555-67
references.pmid: 9755945
references.citation: Opt Express. 2005 Aug 8;13(16):6000-14
references.pmid: 19498608
references.citation: Opt Express. 2009 Jun 22;17(13):11187-96
references.pmid: 19550519
references.citation: IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2008 Sep;55(9):2249-57
references.pmid: 18713694
references.citation: Acad Radiol. 1997 Mar;4(3):197-203
references.pmid: 9084777
references.citation: Med Phys. 2001 Nov;28(11):2328-35
references.pmid: 11764040
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 1996 Sep 30;77(14):2961-2964
references.pmid: 10062096
references.citation: Radiology. 1991 Apr;179(1):143-8
references.pmid: 2006265
references.citation: Med Phys. 2008 Nov;35(11):4907-10
references.pmid: 19070224
references.citation: Z Med Phys. 2013 Sep;23(3):222-7
references.pmid: 23219283
references.citation: Br J Radiol. 1995 Mar;68(807):277-82
references.pmid: 7735767
references.citation: Radiology. 1999 Oct;213(1):23-37
references.pmid: 10540637
references.citation: Med Phys. 2008 Nov;35(11):4878-97
references.pmid: 19070222
references.citation: Med Phys. 2000 Dec;27(12):2693-700
references.pmid: 11190952
references.citation: Opt Lett. 2005 Feb 15;30(4):379-81
references.pmid: 15762434
references.citation: Med Phys. 2003 Aug;30(8):2169-79
references.pmid: 12945983
references.citation: Med Phys. 2002 May;29(5):830-4
references.pmid: 12033579
references.citation: Med Phys. 1995 Apr;22(4):375-9
references.pmid: 7609717
references.citation: Med Phys. 2005 Aug;32(8):2690-7
references.pmid: 16193800