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Analysis of Fourier-domain task-based detectability index in tomosynthesis and cone-beam CT in relation to human observer performance.

ABSTRACT: Design and optimization of medical imaging systems benefit from accurate theoretical modeling that identifies the physical factors governing image quality, particularly in the early stages of system development. This work extends Fourier metrics of imaging performance and detectability index (d') to tomosynthesis and cone-beam CT (CBCT) and investigates the extent to which d' is a valid descriptor of task-based imaging performance as assessed by human observers,The detectability index for tasks presented in 2D slices (d'(slice)) was derived from 3D cascaded systems analysis of tomosynthesis and CBCT. Anatomical background noise measured in a physical phantom presenting power-law spectral density was incorporated in the "generalized" noise-equivalent quanta. Theoretical calculations of d'(slice) were performed as a function of total angular extent (theta(tot)) of source-detector orbit ranging 10 degrees - 360 degrees under two acquisition schemes: (i) Constant angular separation between projections (constant-delta theta), giving variable number of projections (N(proj)) and dose vs theta(tot) and (ii) constant number of projections (constant-N(proj)), giving constant dose (but variable angular sampling) with theta(tot). Five simple observer models were investigated: Prewhitening (PW), prewhitening with eye filter and internal noise (PWEi), nonprewhitening (NPW), nonprewhitening with eye filter (NPWE), and nonprewhitening with eye filter and internal noise (NPWEi). Human observer performance was measured in 9AFC tests for five simple imaging tasks presented within uniform and power-law clutter backgrounds. Measurements (from 9AFC tests) and theoretical calculations (from cascaded systems analysis of d'(slice)) were compared in terms of area under the ROC curve (A(z))Reasonable correspondence between theoretical calculations and human observer performance was achieved for all imaging tasks over the broad range of experimental conditions and acquisition schemes. The PW and PWEi observer models tended to overestimate detectability, while the various NPW models predicted observer performance fairly well, with NPWEi giving the best overall agreement. Detectability was shown to increase with theta(tot) due to the reduction of out-of-plane clutter, reaching a plateau after a particular theta(tot) that depended on the imaging task. Depending on the acquisition scheme, however (i.e., constant-N(proj) or delta theta), detectability was seen in some cases to decline at higher theta(tot) due to tradeoffs among quantum noise, background clutter, and view sampling.Generalized detectability index derived from a 3D cascaded systems model shows reasonable correspondence with human observer performance over a fairly broad range of imaging tasks and conditions, although discrepancies were observed in cases relating to orbits intermediate to 180 degrees and 360 degrees. The basic correspondence of theoretical and measured performance supports the application of such a theoretical framework for system design and optimization of tomosynthesis and CBCT.

SUBMITTER: Gang GJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3069989 | biostudies-other | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Dual-energy computed tomography and dual-energy cone-beam computed tomography (DE-CBCT) are promising modalities for applications ranging from vascular to breast, renal, hepatic, and musculoskeletal imaging. Accordingly, the optimization of imaging techniques for such applications would benefit significantly from a general theoretical description of image quality that properly incorporates factors of acquisition, reconstruction, and tissue decomposition in DE tomography. This work reports a cascaded systems analysis model that includes the Poisson statistics of x rays (quantum noise), detector model (flat-panel detectors), anatomical background, image reconstruction (filtered backprojection), DE decomposition (weighted subtraction), and simple observer models to yield a task-based framework for DE technique optimization.The theoretical framework extends previous modeling of DE projection radiography and CBCT. Signal and noise transfer characteristics are propagated through physical and mathematical stages of image formation and reconstruction. Dual-energy decomposition was modeled according to weighted subtraction of low- and high-energy images to yield the 3D DE noise-power spectrum (NPS) and noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ), which, in combination with observer models and the imaging task, yields the dual-energy detectability index (d(')). Model calculations were validated with NPS and NEQ measurements from an experimental imaging bench simulating the geometry of a dedicated musculoskeletal extremities scanner. Imaging techniques, including kVp pair and dose allocation, were optimized using d(') as an objective function for three example imaging tasks: (1) kidney stone discrimination; (2) iodine vs bone in a uniform, soft-tissue background; and (3) soft tissue tumor detection on power-law anatomical background.Theoretical calculations of DE NPS and NEQ demonstrated good agreement with experimental measurements over a broad range of imaging conditions. Optimization results suggest a lower fraction of total dose imparted by the low-energy acquisition, a finding consistent with previous literature. The selection of optimal kVp pair reveals the combined effect of both quantum noise and contrast in the kidney stone discrimination and soft-tissue tumor detection tasks, whereas the K-edge effect of iodine was the dominant factor in determining kVp pairs in the iodine vs bone task. The soft-tissue tumor task illustrated the benefit of dual-energy imaging in eliminating anatomical background noise and improving detectability beyond that achievable by single-energy scans.This work established a task-based theoretical framework that is predictive of DE image quality. The model can be utilized in optimizing a broad range of parameters in image acquisition, reconstruction, and decomposition, providing a useful tool for maximizing DE-CBCT image quality and reducing dose.

Project description:A human observer study was performed for a signal detection task for the case of fan-beam x-ray computed tomography. Hotelling observer (HO) performance was calculated for the same detection task without the use of efficient channels. By considering the full image covariance produced by the filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm and avoiding the use of channels in the computation of HO performance, the authors establish an absolute upper bound on signal detectability. Therefore, this study serves as a baseline for relating human and ideal observer performance in the case of fan-beam CT.Eight human observers participated in a two-alternative forced choice experiment where the signal of interest was a small simulated ellipsoid in the presence of independent, identically distributed Gaussian detector noise. Theoretical performance of the HO, which is equivalent to the ideal observer in this case (see Sec. 13.2.12 in Barrett and Myers [Foundations of Image Science (Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2004)], was also computed and compared to the performance of the human observers. In addition to a reference FBP implementation, two FBP implementations with inherent loss of HO signal detectability (e.g., by apodizing the ramp filter) were also investigated. Each of these latter two implementations takes the form of a discrete-to-discrete linear operator (i.e., a matrix), which has a nontrivial null-space resulting in the loss of detectability.Estimated observer detectability index (d(A)) values for the human observers and SNR values for the HO were obtained. While Hanning filtering in the FBP implementation with a cutoff frequency of 1/4 of the Nyquist frequency reduces HO SNR (due to the reconstruction matrix's nontrivial null-space), this filtering was shown to consistently improve human observer performance. By contrast, increasing the image pixel size was seen to have a comparable effect on both the HO and the human observers, degrading performance.These results, which characterize HO and human observer performance for a signal detection task in fan-beam FBP noise, form a basis for applying model observer metrics to fan-beam CT when knowledge of the full image-domain noise statistics is important. Further, by calculating HO performance without relying on channels, these results are particularly relevant when an information theoretic approach is considered, e.g., in optimization of the image reconstruction algorithm with respect to preservation of signal detectability. Finally, the HO (which is here equivalent to the ideal observer) provides an absolute upper bound on detection performance, and our results therefore provide insight into the performance of human observers relative to the optimum for two different cases wherein ideal observer performance is compromised through degradation of the data quality. In one case (regularization), human performance is improved to practically ideal performance, and in the other (larger pixel size), ideal and human observer performance are approximately degraded equivalently.

Project description:BackgroundMinimally invasive surgery (MIS) for evacuation of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has shown promise but there remains a need for intraoperative performance assessment considering the wide range of evacuation effectiveness. In this feasibility study, we analyzed the benefit of intraoperative 3-dimensional imaging during navigated endoscopy-assisted ICH evacuation by mechanical clot fragmentation and aspiration.Methods18 patients with superficial or deep supratentorial ICH underwent MIS for clot evacuation followed by intraoperative computerized tomography (iCT) or cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging. Eligibility for MIS required (a) availability of intraoperative iCT or CBCT, (b) spontaneous lobar or deep ICH without vascular pathology, (c) a stable ICH volume (20-90 ml), (d) a reduced level of consciousness (GCS 5-14), and (e) a premorbid mRS ≤ 1. Demographic, clinical, and radiographic patient data were analyzed by two independent observers.ResultsNine female and 9 male patients with a median age of 76 years (42-85) presented with an ICH score of 3 (1-4), GCS of 10 (5-14) and ICH volume of 54 ± 26 ml. Clot fragmentation and aspiration was feasible in all cases and intraoperative imaging determined an overall evacuation rate of 80 ± 19% (residual hematoma volume: 13 ± 17 ml; p < 0.0001 vs. Pre-OP). Based on the intraoperative imaging results, 1/3rd of all patients underwent an immediate re-aspiration attempt. No patient experienced hemorrhagic complications or required conversion to open craniotomy. However, routine postoperative CT imaging revealed early hematoma re-expansion with an adjusted evacuation rate of 59 ± 30% (residual hematoma volume: 26 ± 37 ml; p < 0.001 vs. Pre-OP).ConclusionsRoutine utilization of iCT or CBCT imaging in MIS for ICH permits direct surgical performance assessment and the chance for immediate re-aspiration, which may optimize targeting of an ideal residual hematoma volume and reduce secondary revision rates.

Project description:In computer vision, reference datasets from simulation and real outdoor scenes have been highly successful in promoting algorithmic development in stereo reconstruction. Endoscopic stereo reconstruction for surgical scenes gives rise to specific problems, including the lack of clear corner features, highly specular surface properties and the presence of blood and smoke. These issues present difficulties for both stereo reconstruction itself and also for standardised dataset production. Previous datasets have been produced using computed tomography (CT) or structured light reconstruction on phantom or ex vivo models. We present a stereo-endoscopic reconstruction validation dataset based on cone-beam CT (SERV-CT). Two ex vivo small porcine full torso cadavers were placed within the view of the endoscope with both the endoscope and target anatomy visible in the CT scan. Subsequent orientation of the endoscope was manually aligned to match the stereoscopic view and benchmark disparities, depths and occlusions are calculated. The requirement of a CT scan limited the number of stereo pairs to 8 from each ex vivo sample. For the second sample an RGB surface was acquired to aid alignment of smooth, featureless surfaces. Repeated manual alignments showed an RMS disparity accuracy of around 2 pixels and a depth accuracy of about 2 mm. A simplified reference dataset is provided consisting of endoscope image pairs with corresponding calibration, disparities, depths and occlusions covering the majority of the endoscopic image and a range of tissue types, including smooth specular surfaces, as well as significant variation of depth. We assessed the performance of various stereo algorithms from online available repositories. There is a significant variation between algorithms, highlighting some of the challenges of surgical endoscopic images. The SERV-CT dataset provides an easy to use stereoscopic validation for surgical applications with smooth reference disparities and depths covering the majority of the endoscopic image. This complements existing resources well and we hope will aid the development of surgical endoscopic anatomical reconstruction algorithms.

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Analysis of Fourier-domain task-based detectability index in tomosynthesis and cone-beam CT in relation to human observer performance.

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