title: VALIDATION OF A SIMULATION PROCEDURE FOR GENERATING BREAST TOMOSYNTHESIS PROJECTION IMAGES.
abstract: In order to achieve optimal diagnostic performance in breast tomosynthesis (BT) imaging, the parameters of the imaging chain should be evaluated. For the purpose of such evaluations, a simulation procedure based on the Monte Carlo code system Penelope and the geometry of a Siemens BT system has been developed to generate BT projection images. In this work, the simulation procedure is validated by comparing contrast and sharpness in simulated images with contrast and sharpness in real images acquired with the BT system. The results of the study showed a good agreement of sharpness in real and simulated reconstructed image planes, but the contrast was shown to be higher in the simulated compared with the real projection images. The developed simulation procedure could be used to generate BT images, but it is of interest to further investigate how the procedure could be modified to generate more realistic image noise and contrast.
authors: Medical Radiation Physics Malmö, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden hannie.petersson@med.lu.se.
authors: Hannie
authors: H
authors: Petersson
authors: National Coordinating Centre for the Physics of Mammography, Medical Physics, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford GU2 7XX, UK.
authors: Lucy M
authors: LM
authors: Warren
authors: Medical Radiation Physics Malmö, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden.
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Tingberg
authors: Medical Radiation Physics Malmö, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden.
authors: Magnus
authors: M
authors: Dustler
authors: Medical Radiation Physics Malmö, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital Malmö, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden.
authors: Pontus
authors: P
authors: Timberg
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*