title: Synchrotron based planar imaging and digital tomosynthesis of breast and biopsy phantoms using a CMOS active pixel sensor.
abstract: The SYRMEP (SYnchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics) beamline at Elettra is performing the first mammography study on human patients using free-space propagation phase contrast imaging. The stricter spatial resolution requirements of this method currently force the use of conventional films or specialized computed radiography (CR) systems. This also prevents the implementation of three-dimensional (3D) approaches. This paper explores the use of an X-ray detector based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor (APS) technology as a possible alternative, for acquisitions both in planar and tomosynthesis geometry. Results indicate higher quality of the images acquired with the synchrotron set-up in both geometries. This improvement can be partly ascribed to the use of parallel, collimated and monochromatic synchrotron radiation (resulting in scatter rejection, no penumbra-induced blurring and optimized X-ray energy), and partly to phase contrast effects. Even though the pixel size of the used detector is still too large - and thus suboptimal - for free-space propagation phase contrast imaging, a degree of phase-induced edge enhancement can clearly be observed in the images.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK. Electronic address: m.szafraniec@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Magdalena B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Szafraniec
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Anastasios C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Konstantinidis
authors.affiliation: Sincrotrone Trieste, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tromba
authors.affiliation: Sincrotrone Trieste, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dreossi
authors.affiliation: I.M.S. Internazionale Medico Scientifica, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vecchio
authors.affiliation: Sincrotrone Trieste, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigon
authors.affiliation: Sincrotrone Trieste, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sodini
authors.affiliation: Dexela Ltd (a PerkinElmer Company), London N17EU, UK.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naday
authors.affiliation: Dexela Ltd (a PerkinElmer Company), London N17EU, UK.
authors.forename: Spencer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.affiliation: Dexela Ltd (a PerkinElmer Company), London N17EU, UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McArthur
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olivo
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012666:Semiconductors; D017356:Synchrotrons
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D010087:Oxides
keywords: 3D breast imaging; APS; CMOS; Edge enhancement; Flat panel detector; Image contrast; Phase contrast imaging; Tomosynthesis