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Contrast-to-noise ratio optimization for a prototype phase-contrast computed tomography scanner.

Müller, Mark ; Yaroshenko, Andre ; Velroyen, Astrid ; Bech, Martin LU orcid ; Tapfer, Arne ; Pauwels, Bart ; Bruyndonckx, Peter ; Sasov, Alexander and Pfeiffer, Franz (2015) In Review of Scientific Instruments 86(12).
Abstract
In the field of biomedical X-ray imaging, novel techniques, such as phase-contrast and dark-field imaging, have the potential to enhance the contrast and provide complementary structural information about a specimen. In this paper, a first prototype of a preclinical X-ray phase-contrast CT scanner based on a Talbot-Lau interferometer is characterized. We present a study of the contrast-to-noise ratios for attenuation and phase-contrast images acquired with the prototype scanner. The shown results are based on a series of projection images and tomographic data sets of a plastic phantom in phase and attenuation-contrast recorded with varying acquisition settings. Subsequently, the signal and noise distribution of different regions in the... (More)
In the field of biomedical X-ray imaging, novel techniques, such as phase-contrast and dark-field imaging, have the potential to enhance the contrast and provide complementary structural information about a specimen. In this paper, a first prototype of a preclinical X-ray phase-contrast CT scanner based on a Talbot-Lau interferometer is characterized. We present a study of the contrast-to-noise ratios for attenuation and phase-contrast images acquired with the prototype scanner. The shown results are based on a series of projection images and tomographic data sets of a plastic phantom in phase and attenuation-contrast recorded with varying acquisition settings. Subsequently, the signal and noise distribution of different regions in the phantom were determined. We present a novel method for estimation of contrast-to-noise ratios for projection images based on the cylindrical geometry of the phantom. Analytical functions, representing the expected signal in phase and attenuation-contrast for a circular object, are fitted to individual line profiles of the projection data. The free parameter of the fit function is used to estimate the contrast and the goodness of the fit is determined to assess the noise in the respective signal. The results depict the dependence of the contrast-to-noise ratios on the applied source voltages, the number of steps of the phase stepping routine, and the exposure times for an individual step. Moreover, the influence of the number of projection angles on the image quality of CT slices is investigated. Finally, the implications for future imaging purposes with the scanner are discussed. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Review of Scientific Instruments
volume
86
issue
12
article number
123705
publisher
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
external identifiers
  • pmid:26724040
  • wos:000368594900042
  • scopus:84952837785
ISSN
1089-7623
DOI
10.1063/1.4938163
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6760678d-5b46-4552-b707-02a65da81072 (old id 8593378)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26724040?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:05:59
date last changed
2022-03-12 02:05:32
@article{6760678d-5b46-4552-b707-02a65da81072,
  abstract     = {{In the field of biomedical X-ray imaging, novel techniques, such as phase-contrast and dark-field imaging, have the potential to enhance the contrast and provide complementary structural information about a specimen. In this paper, a first prototype of a preclinical X-ray phase-contrast CT scanner based on a Talbot-Lau interferometer is characterized. We present a study of the contrast-to-noise ratios for attenuation and phase-contrast images acquired with the prototype scanner. The shown results are based on a series of projection images and tomographic data sets of a plastic phantom in phase and attenuation-contrast recorded with varying acquisition settings. Subsequently, the signal and noise distribution of different regions in the phantom were determined. We present a novel method for estimation of contrast-to-noise ratios for projection images based on the cylindrical geometry of the phantom. Analytical functions, representing the expected signal in phase and attenuation-contrast for a circular object, are fitted to individual line profiles of the projection data. The free parameter of the fit function is used to estimate the contrast and the goodness of the fit is determined to assess the noise in the respective signal. The results depict the dependence of the contrast-to-noise ratios on the applied source voltages, the number of steps of the phase stepping routine, and the exposure times for an individual step. Moreover, the influence of the number of projection angles on the image quality of CT slices is investigated. Finally, the implications for future imaging purposes with the scanner are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Müller, Mark and Yaroshenko, Andre and Velroyen, Astrid and Bech, Martin and Tapfer, Arne and Pauwels, Bart and Bruyndonckx, Peter and Sasov, Alexander and Pfeiffer, Franz}},
  issn         = {{1089-7623}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{American Institute of Physics (AIP)}},
  series       = {{Review of Scientific Instruments}},
  title        = {{Contrast-to-noise ratio optimization for a prototype phase-contrast computed tomography scanner.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4938163}},
  doi          = {{10.1063/1.4938163}},
  volume       = {{86}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}