title: A method for high-energy, low-dose mammography using edge illumination x-ray phase-contrast imaging.
abstract: Since the breast is one of the most radiosensitive organs, mammography is arguably the area where lowering radiation dose is of the uttermost importance. Phase-based x-ray imaging methods can provide opportunities in this sense, since they do not require x-rays to be stopped in tissue for image contrast to be generated. Therefore, x-ray energy can be considerably increased compared to those usually exploited by conventional mammography. In this article we show how a novel, optimized approach can lead to considerable dose reductions. This was achieved by matching the edge-illumination phase method, which reaches very high angular sensitivity also at high x-ray energies, to an appropriate image processing algorithm and to a virtually noise-free detection technology capable of reaching almost 100% efficiency at the same energies. Importantly, while proof-of-concept was obtained at a synchrotron, the method has potential for a translation to conventional sources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Diemoz
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bravin
authors.forename: Anikó
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sztrókay-Gaul
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruat
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grandl
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Auweter
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mittone
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brun
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ponchut
authors.forename: Maximilian F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Reiser
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coan
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olivo
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014965:X-Rays