Design and feasibility studies of a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yang G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3146055 | biostudies-other | 2011 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Publications
Design and feasibility studies of a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system.
Yang G G Qian X X Phan T T Sprenger F F Sultana S S Calderon-Colon X X Kearse B B Spronk D D Lu J J Zhou O O
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment 20110801 Suppl 1
Studies have shown that digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) can improve breast cancer diagnosis by reconstructing 3D images. However, DBT scanners based on rotation gantry prolong the imaging time and reduce spatial resolution due to motion comparing with the regular two-view mammography. To obtain three dimension reconstruction images and maintain the high image quality of conventional mammography, we proposed a prototype stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system (s-DBT). The proposed s-DBT ...[more]
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Project description:Rationale and objectivesA linear array of carbon nanotube-enabled x-ray sources allows for stationary digital breast tomosynthesis (sDBT), during which projection views are collected without the need to move the x-ray tube. This work presents our initial clinical experience with a first-generation sDBT device.Materials and methodsFollowing informed consent, women with a "suspicious abnormality" (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4), discovered by digital mammography and awaiting biopsy, were also imaged by the first generation sDBT. Four radiologists participated in this paired-image study, completing questionnaires while interpreting the mammograms and sDBT image stacks. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were used to measure reader performance (likelihood of correctly identifying malignancy based on pathology as ground truth), while a multivariate analysis assessed preference, as readers compared one modality to the next when interpreting diagnostically important image features.ResultsFindings from 43 women were available for analysis, in whom 12 cases of malignancy were identified by pathology. The mean areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for sDBT than mammography for all breast density categories and breast thicknesses. Additionally, readers preferred sDBT over mammography when evaluating mass margins and shape, architectural distortion, and asymmetry, but preferred mammography when characterizing microcalcifications.ConclusionReaders preferred sDBT over mammography when interpreting soft-tissue breast features and were diagnostically more accurate using images generated by sDBT in a Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4 population. However, the findings also demonstrated the need to improve microcalcification conspicuity, which is guiding both technological and image-processing design changes in future sDBT devices.
| S-EPMC6635094 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In principle, a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis (s-DBT) system has better image quality when compared to continuous motion DBT systems due to zero motion blur of the source. The authors have developed a s-DBT system by using a linear carbon nanotube x-ray source array. The purpose of the current study was to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the s-DBT system; and investigate the dependence of imaging quality on the system configuration parameters.Physical phantoms were used to assess the image quality of each configuration including inplane resolution as measured by the modulation transfer function (MTF), inplane contrast as measured by the signal difference to noise ratio (SdNR), and depth resolution as measured by the z-axis artifact spread function. Five parameters were varied to create five groups of configurations: (1) total angular span; (2) total number of projection images; (3) distribution of exposure (mAs) across the projection images; (4) entrance dose; (5) detector pixel size.It was found that the z-axis depth resolution increased with the total angular span but was insensitive to the number of projection images, mAs distribution, entrance dose, and detector pixel size. The SdNR was not affected by the angular span or the number of projection images. A decrease in SdNR was observed when the mAs was not evenly distributed across the projection images. As expected, the SdNR increased with entrance dose and when larger pixel sizes were used. For a given detector pixel size, the inplane resolution was found to be insensitive to the total angular span, number of projection images, mAs distribution, and entrance dose. A 25% increase in the MTF was observed when the detector was operating in full resolution mode (70 μm pixel size) compared to 2 × 2 binned mode (140 μm pixel size).The results suggest that the optimal imaging configuration for a s-DBT system is a large angular span, an intermittent number of projection views, and a uniform mAs distribution over all views. With the detector operating at full resolution, a stationary DBT system can achieve an inplane resolution of 5.1 cycles per mm, which is significantly better than continuous motion DBT systems.
| S-EPMC3600660 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundScreen detected and incidental pulmonary nodules are increasingly common. Current guidelines recommend tissue sampling of solid nodules >8 mm. Bronchoscopic biopsy poses the lowest risk but is paired with the lowest diagnostic yield when compared to CT-guided biopsy or surgery. A need exists for a safe, mobile, low radiation dose, intra-procedural method to localize biopsy instruments within target nodules. This retrospective cross sectional reader feasibility study evaluates the ability of clinicians to identify pulmonary nodules using a prototype carbon nanotube radiation enabled stationary digital chest tomosynthesis system.MethodsPatients with pulmonary nodules on prior CT imaging were recruited and consented for imaging with stationary digital chest tomosynthesis. Five pulmonologists of varying training levels participated as readers. Following review of patient CT and a thoracic radiologist's interpretation of nodule size and location the readers were tasked with interpreting the corresponding tomosynthesis scan to identify the same nodule found on CT.ResultsFifty-five patients were scanned with stationary digital chest tomosynthesis. The median nodule size was 6 mm (IQR =4-13 mm). Twenty nodules (37%) were greater than 8 mm. The radiation entrance dose for s-DCT was 0.6 mGy. A significant difference in identification of nodules using s-DCT was seen for nodules <8 vs. ≥8 mm in size (57.7% vs. 90.9%, CI: -0.375, -0.024; P<0.001). Inter-reader agreement was fair, and better for nodules ≥8 mm [0.278 (SE =0.043)].ConclusionsWith system and carbon nanotube array optimization, we hypothesize the detection rate for nodules will improve. Additional study is needed to evaluate its use in target and tool co-localization and target biopsy.
| S-EPMC8902128 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Stationary digital breast tomosynthesis (sDBT) with distributed X-ray sources based on carbon nanotube (CNT) field emission cathodes has been recently proposed as an approach that can prevent motion blur produced by traditional DBT systems. In this paper, we simulate a geometric calibration method based on a proposed multi-source CNT X-ray sDBT system. This method is a projection matrix-based approach with seven geometric parameters, all of which can be obtained from only one projection datum of the phantom. To our knowledge, this study reports the first application of this approach in a CNT-based multi-beam X-ray sDBT system. The simulation results showed that the extracted geometric parameters from the calculated projection matrix are extremely close to the input values and that the proposed method is effective and reliable for a square sDBT system. In addition, a traditional cone-beam computed tomography (CT) system was also simulated, and the uncalibrated and calibrated geometric parameters were used in image reconstruction based on the filtered back-projection (FBP) method. The results indicated that the images reconstructed with calibrated geometric parameters have fewer artifacts and are closer to the reference image. All the simulation tests showed that this geometric calibration method is optimized for sDBT systems but can also be applied to other application-specific CT imaging systems.
| S-EPMC5707001 | biostudies-other
Project description:The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of increasing the system spatial resolution and scanning speed of Hologic Selenia Dimensions digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) scanner by replacing the rotating mammography x-ray tube with a specially designed carbon nanotube (CNT) x-ray source array, which generates all the projection images needed for tomosynthesis reconstruction by electronically activating individual x-ray sources without any mechanical motion. The stationary digital breast tomosynthesis (s-DBT) design aims to (i) increase the system spatial resolution by eliminating image blurring due to x-ray tube motion and (ii) reduce the scanning time. Low spatial resolution and long scanning time are the two main technical limitations of current DBT technology.A CNT x-ray source array was designed and evaluated against a set of targeted system performance parameters. Simulations were performed to determine the maximum anode heat load at the desired focal spot size and to design the electron focusing optics. Field emission current from CNT cathode was measured for an extended period of time to determine the stable life time of CNT cathode for an expected clinical operation scenario. The source array was manufactured, tested, and integrated with a Selenia scanner. An electronic control unit was developed to interface the source array with the detection system and to scan and regulate x-ray beams. The performance of the s-DBT system was evaluated using physical phantoms.The spatially distributed CNT x-ray source array comprised 31 individually addressable x-ray sources covering a 30 angular span with 1 pitch and an isotropic focal spot size of 0.6 mm at full width at half-maximum. Stable operation at 28 kV(peak) anode voltage and 38 mA tube current was demonstrated with extended lifetime and good source-to-source consistency. For the standard imaging protocol of 15 views over 14, 100 mAs dose, and 2 × 2 detector binning, the projection resolution along the scanning direction increased from 4.0 cycles/mm [at 10% modulation-transfer-function (MTF)] in DBT to 5.1 cycles/mm in s-DBT at magnification factor of 1.08. The improvement is more pronounced for faster scanning speeds, wider angular coverage, and smaller detector pixel sizes. The scanning speed depends on the detector, the number of views, and the imaging dose. With 240 ms detector readout time, the s-DBT system scanning time is 6.3 s for a 15-view, 100 mAs scan regardless of the angular coverage. The scanning speed can be reduced to less than 4 s when detectors become faster. Initial phantom studies showed good quality reconstructed images.A prototype s-DBT scanner has been developed and evaluated by retrofitting the Selenia rotating gantry DBT scanner with a spatially distributed CNT x-ray source array. Preliminary results show that it improves system spatial resolution substantially by eliminating image blur due to x-ray focal spot motion. The scanner speed of s-DBT system is independent of angular coverage and can be increased with faster detector without image degration. The accelerated lifetime measurement demonstrated the long term stability of CNT x-ray source array with typical clinical operation lifetime over 3 years.
| S-EPMC3321055 | biostudies-other
Project description:OBJECTIVE:The imaging evaluation of cystic fibrosis currently relies on chest radiography or computed tomography. Recently, digital chest tomosynthesis has been proposed as an alternative. We have developed a stationary digital chest tomosynthesis (s-DCT) system based on a carbon nanotube (CNT) linear x-ray source array. This system enables tomographic imaging without movement of the x-ray tube and allows for physiological gating. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of clinical CF imaging with the s-DCT system. MATERIALS AND METHODS:CF patients undergoing clinically indicated chest radiography were recruited for the study and imaged on the s-DCT system. Three board-certified radiologists reviewed both the CXR and s-DCT images for image quality relevant to CF. CF disease severity was assessed by Brasfield score on CXR and chest tomosynthesis score on s-DCT. Disease severity measures were also evaluated against subject pulmonary function tests. RESULTS:Fourteen patients underwent s-DCT imaging within 72 h of their chest radiograph imaging. Readers scored the visualization of proximal bronchi, small airways and vascular pattern higher on s-DCT than CXR. Correlation between the averaged Brasfield score and averaged tomosynthesis disease severity score for CF was -0.73, p = 0.0033. The CF disease severity score system for tomosynthesis had high correlation with FEV1 (r = -0.685) and FEF 25-75% (r = -0.719) as well as good correlation with FVC (r = -0.582). CONCLUSION:We demonstrate the potential of CNT x-ray-based s-DCT for use in the evaluation of cystic fibrosis disease status in the first clinical study of s-DCT. KEY POINTS:• Carbon nanotube-based linear array x-ray tomosynthesis systems have the potential to provide diagnostically relevant information for patients with cystic fibrosis without the need for a moving gantry. • Despite the short angular span in this prototype system, lung features such as the proximal bronchi, small airways and pulmonary vasculature have improved visualization on s-DCT compared with CXR. Further improvements are anticipated with longer linear x-ray array tubes. • Evaluation of disease severity in CF patients is possible with s-DCT, yielding improved visualization of important lung features and high correlation with pulmonary function tests at a relatively low dose.
| S-EPMC6896210 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A prototype linear x-ray source to implement stationary source-stationary detector tomosynthesis (TS) imaging has been studied. Potential applications include human breast and small animal imaging. The source is comprised of ten x-ray source elements each consisting of a field emission cathode, electrostatic lens, and target. The electrostatic lens and target are common to all elements. The source elements form x-ray focal spots with minimum diameters of 0.3-0.4 mm at electron beam currents of up to 40 mA with a beam voltage of 40 kV. The x-ray flux versus time was quantified from each source. X-ray bremsstrahlung spectra from tungsten targets were produced using electron beam energies from 35 to 50 keV. The half-value layer was measured to be 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0 mm, respectively, for the 35, 40, and 45 kV tube potentials using the tungsten target. The suppression of voltage breakdown events, particularly during source operation, and the use of a modified form of the standard cold-cathode geometry, enhanced source reliability. The prototype linear source was used to collect tomographic data sets of a mouse phantom using digital TS reconstruction methods and demonstrated a slice-sensitivity profile with a full-width-half-maximum of 1.3 mm. Lastly, preliminary studies of tomographic imaging of flow through the mouse phantom were performed.
| S-EPMC4083558 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background While digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is rapidly replacing digital mammography (DM) in breast cancer screening, the potential of DBT density measures for breast cancer risk assessment remains largely unexplored. Purpose To compare associations of breast density estimates from DBT and DM with breast cancer. Materials and Methods This retrospective case-control study used contralateral DM/DBT studies from women with unilateral breast cancer and age- and ethnicity-matched controls (September 19, 2011-January 6, 2015). Volumetric percent density (VPD%) was estimated from DBT using previously validated software. For comparison, the publicly available Laboratory for Individualized Breast Radiodensity Assessment software package, or LIBRA, was used to estimate area-based percent density (APD%) from raw and processed DM images. The commercial Quantra and Volpara software packages were applied to raw DM images to estimate VPD% with use of physics-based models. Density measures were compared by using Spearman correlation coefficients (r), and conditional logistic regression was performed to examine density associations (odds ratios [OR]) with breast cancer, adjusting for age and body mass index. Results A total of 132 women diagnosed with breast cancer (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 60 years ± 11) and 528 controls (mean age, 60 years ± 11) were included. Moderate correlations between DBT and DM density measures (r = 0.32-0.75; all P < .001) were observed. Volumetric density estimates calculated from DBT (OR, 2.3 [95% CI: 1.6, 3.4] per SD for VPD%DBT) were more strongly associated with breast cancer than DM-derived density for both APD% (OR, 1.3 [95% CI: 0.9, 1.9] [P < .001] and 1.7 [95% CI: 1.2, 2.3] [P = .004] per SD for LIBRA raw and processed data, respectively) and VPD% (OR, 1.6 [95% CI: 1.1, 2.4] [P = .01] and 1.7 [95% CI: 1.2, 2.6] [P = .04] per SD for Volpara and Quantra, respectively). Conclusion The associations between quantitative breast density estimates and breast cancer risk are stronger for digital breast tomosynthesis compared with digital mammography. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Yaffe in this issue.
| S-EPMC8608738 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The limitations of mammography are well known and are partly related to the fact that with conventional imaging, the three-dimensional volume of the breast is imaged and presented in a two-dimensional format. Because normal breast tissue is similar in x-ray attenuation to some breast cancers, clinically relevant malignancies may be obscured by normal overlapping tissue. In addition, complex areas of normal tissue may be perceived as suspicious. The limitations of two-dimensional breast imaging lead to low sensitivity in detecting some cancers and high false-positive recall rates. Although mammographic screening has been shown to reduce breast cancer deaths by approximately 30%, controversy exists over when and how often screening mammography should occur. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is rapidly being implemented in breast imaging clinics around the world as early clinical data demonstrate that it may address some of the limitations of conventional mammography. With DBT, multiple low-dose x-ray images are acquired in an arc and reconstructed to create a three-dimensional image, thus minimizing the impact of overlapping breast tissue and improving lesion conspicuity. Early studies of screening DBT have shown decreased false-positive callback rates and increased rates of cancer detection (particularly for invasive cancers), resulting in increased sensitivity and specificity. In our clinical practice, we have completed more than 2 years of using two-view digital mammography combined with two-view DBT for all screening and select diagnostic imaging examinations (over 25,000 patients). Our experience, combined with previously published data, demonstrates that the combined use of DBT and digital mammography is associated with improved outcomes for screening and diagnostic imaging. Online supplemental material is available for this article.
| S-EPMC4319526 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PURPOSE:Technological advancements in dental radiography have improved oral care on many fronts, yet diagnostic efficacy for some of the most common oral conditions, such as caries, dental cracks and fractures, and periodontal disease, remains relatively low. Driven by the clinical need for a better diagnostic yield for these and other dental conditions, we initiated the development of a stationary intraoral tomosynthesis (s-IOT) imaging system using carbon nanotube (CNT) x-ray source array technology. Here, we report the system characterization and preliminary imaging evaluation of a clinical prototype s-IOT system approved for human use. METHODS:The clinical prototype s-IOT system is comprised of a multibeam CNT x-ray source array, high voltage generator, control electronics, collimator cone, and dynamic digital intraoral detector. During a tomosynthesis scan, each x-ray source is operated sequentially at fixed, nominal tube current of 7 mA and user-specified pulse width. Images are acquired by a digital intraoral detector and the reconstruction algorithm generates slice information in real time for operator review. In this study, the s-IOT system was characterized for tube output, dosimetry, and spatial resolution. Manufacturer specifications were validated, such as tube current, kVp, and pulse width. Tube current was measured with an oscilloscope on the analog output of the anode power supply. Pulse width, kVp, and peak skin dose were measured with a dosimeter with ion chamber and high voltage accessory. In-plane spatial resolution was evaluated via measurement of MTF and imaging of a line pair phantom. Spatial resolution in the depth direction was evaluated via artifact spread measurement. The size of the collimated radiation field was evaluated for compliance with FDA regulations. A dental phantom and human specimens of varying pathologies were imaged on a clinical 2D intraoral imaging system as well as s-IOT for comparison and to explore potential clinical applications. RESULTS:The measured tube current, kVp, and pulse width values were within 3% of the set values. A cumulative peak skin dose of 1.12 mGy was measured for one complete tomosynthesis scan using a 50-ms pulse per projection view. Projection images and reconstruction slices revealed MTF values ranging from 8.1 to 9.3 cycles/mm. Line pair imaging verified this result. The radiation field was found to meet the FDA requirements for intraoral imaging devices. Tomosynthesis reconstruction slice images of the dental phantom and human specimens provided depth resolution, allowing visibility of anatomical features that cannot be seen in the 2D intraoral images. CONCLUSIONS:The clinical prototype s-IOT device was evaluated and found to meet all manufacturer specifications. Though the system capability is higher, initial investigations are targeting a low-dose range comparable to a single 2D radiograph. Preliminary studies indicated that s-IOT provides increased image quality and feature conspicuity at a dose comparable to a single 2D intraoral radiograph.
| S-EPMC6237281 | biostudies-literature