• 제목/요약/키워드: Virtual monochromatic image

검색결과 6건 처리시간 0.025초

Investigation of the Effect of kV Combinations on Image Quality for Virtual Monochromatic Imaging Using Dual-Energy CT: A Phantom Study

  • Jeon, Pil-Hyun;Chung, Heejun;Kim, Daehong
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • 제43권1호
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    • pp.1-9
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    • 2018
  • Background: In this study, we investigate the image quality of virtual monochromatic images synthesized from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) at voltages of 80/140 kV and 100/140 kV. Materials and Methods: Virtual monochromatic images of a phantom are synthesized from DECT scans from 40 to 70 keV in steps of 1 keV under the two combinations of tube voltages. The dose allocation of dual-energy (DE) scan is 50% for both low- and high-energy tubes. The virtual monochromatic images are compared to single-energy (SE) images at the same radiation dose. In the DE images, noise is reduced using the 100/140 kV scan at the optimal monochromatic energy. Virtual monochromatic images are reconstructed from 40 to 70 keV in 1-keV increments and analyzed using two quality indexes: noise and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Results and Discussion: The DE scan mode with the 100/140 kV protocol achieved a better maximum CNR compared to the 80/140 kV protocol for various materials, except for adipose and brain. Image noise is reduced with the 100/140 kV protocol. The CNR values of DE with the 100/140 kV protocol is similar to or higher than that of SE at 120 kV at the same radiation dose. Furthermore, the maximum CNR with the 100/140 kV protocol is similar to or higher than that of the SE scan at 120 kV. Conclusion: It was found that the CNR achieved with the 100/140 kV protocol was better than that with the 80/140 kV protocol at optimal monochromatic energies. Virtual monochromatic imaging using the 100/140 kV protocol could be considered for application in breast, brain, lung, liver, and bone CT in accordance with the CNR results.

이중에너지 방법을 이용한 가상 단색 영상의 화질 시뮬레이션 연구 (A Simulation Study on Image Quality of Virtual Monochromatic Image using Dual-energy Method)

  • 손기홍;이수열;김대홍;정명애
    • 한국방사선학회논문지
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    • 제16권5호
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    • pp.553-558
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    • 2022
  • 본 연구의 목적은 혈관의 가상단색성 영상 화질을 단색성 영상과 비교하여 평가한 시뮬레이션 연구이다. 이중에너지 영상은 저에너지와 고에너지 각각 50 keV, 80 keV에서 다섯 가지 물질의 선형감약계수를 바탕으로 획득되었다. 가상단색성 영상을 합성하기 위해 가중계수가 필요하며, 가중계수를 획득하기 위해 간과 뼈를 기저 물질로 사용하였다. 가상단색성 영상은 30 keV에서 100 keV 범위의 에너지에서 합성되었다. 영상 평가는 칼슘과 조영제를 신호로, 혈액을 백그라운드로 설정하여 CNR과 noise로 평가되었다. 연구결과에 따르면, 최대 CNR을 가지는 에너지는 칼슘과 조영제에서 각각 50 keV, 60 keV였다. 최소 noise를 보이는 에너지는 칼슘, 요오드 조영제, 혈액에서 각각 70 keV, 70 keV, 60 keV였다. VM 영상은 noise를 최소화하고 CNR을 최대화하는 최적의 에너지에서의 영상을 구현할 수 있으므로 CT 검사에서 진단능 향상에 기여할 수 있다.

듀얼 에너지 CT의 가상 단색 영상을 이용한 영상 교정 팬텀과 금속 인공음영에 관한 연구 (Study on the calibration phantom and metal artifacts using virtual monochromatic images from dual energy CT)

  • 이준성;이승훈;박주경;이선영;김진기
    • 대한방사선치료학회지
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    • 제29권1호
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    • pp.77-84
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    • 2017
  • 목 적: 이중선원 듀얼에너지 CT(DS-DECT)의 가상 단색 영상을 이용해서 영상의 질 향상과 선량학적 영향에 대한 방사선치료계획 이용의 유용성을 평가하고자 한다. 대상 및 방법: DS-DECT를 이용하여 듀얼에너지(80/Sn 140 kVp)와 싱글에너지(120 kVp) 영상을 획득하였다. 영상 교정 팬텀 실험을 위해서 40-140 keV 범위로 단색 영상을 재구성했다. 선량 측정용 고체물등가팬텀 연구에서는 64, 69, 88, 105 keV 단색 영상을 선택했다. 스테인리스 스틸을 포함한 고체물등가팬텀에 $10{\times}10cm^2$ 조사야, SSD 100 cm, 10 MV 광자선, 100 MU 조사선량, 단일빔으로 치료계획을 수립하였다. 방사선량측면도 자료는 중심축에 위치한 4개의 지점에서 구했다. 싱글에너지 CT에서 획득한 다색 영상을 기준영상으로 하고, 가상 단색 영상의 선량학적 결과를 분석하였다. 결 과: 낮은 단색 에너지 수치에서 평균 감약이 증가했다. 7개의 물질 중에서 Teflon이 에너지 의존성이 가장 컸고, 10 keV 수치 상승으로 CT number가 평균 2.48 % 감소했다. 저밀도 공기에서는 단색 에너지에 대한 에너지 의존성이 없었다. Polystyrene, Acrylic은 70 keV 이상에서 안정한 CT number를 나타내었다. CT-ED 변환 곡선은 80 keV 단색 영상과 120 kVp 다색 영상이 비슷하였다. 단색 영상의 에너지가 증가할수록 금속의 식별 능력이 향상되었다. 줄무늬 인공음영은 105 keV 단색 영상에서 높은 감소를 보였지만, 여전히 남아 있었다. 다색 영상과 비교하여 각 영상에 따른 방사선치료계획의 선량학적 차이는 ${\pm}0.7%$ 미만이었다. 결 론: 듀얼에너지 영상의 획득은 싱글에너지에 비해 피폭선량을 감소시킬 수 있고, 가상 단색 영상은 CT number 보정에 유용하였다. 향상된 영상의 질은 인체의 기하구조 묘사와 전자 밀도 분포 형성에 도움이 될 것으로 사료된다.

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Comparison of the Quality of Various Polychromatic and Monochromatic Dual-Energy CT Images with or without a Metal Artifact Reduction Algorithm to Evaluate Total Knee Arthroplasty

  • Hye Jung Choo;Sun Joo Lee;Dong Wook Kim;Yoo Jin Lee;Jin Wook Baek;Ji-yeon Han;Young Jin Heo
    • Korean Journal of Radiology
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    • 제22권8호
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    • pp.1341-1351
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    • 2021
  • Objective: To compare the quality of various polychromatic and monochromatic images with or without using an iterative metal artifact reduction algorithm (iMAR) obtained from a dual-energy computed tomography (CT) to evaluate total knee arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: We included 58 patients (28 male and 30 female; mean age [range], 71.4 [61-83] years) who underwent 74 knee examinations after total knee arthroplasty using dual-energy CT. CT image sets consisted of polychromatic image sets that linearly blended 80 kVp and tin-filtered 140 kVp using weighting factors of 0.4, 0, and -0.3, and monochromatic images at 130, 150, 170, and 190 keV. These image sets were obtained with and without applying iMAR, creating a total of 14 image sets. Two readers qualitatively ranked the image quality (1 [lowest quality] through 14 [highest quality]). Volumes of high- and low-density artifacts and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) between the bone and fat tissue were quantitatively measured in a subset of 25 knees unaffected by metal artifacts. Results: iMAR-applied, polychromatic images using weighting factors of -0.3 and 0.0 (P-0.3i and P0.0i, respectively) showed the highest image-quality rank scores (median of 14 for both by one reader and 13 and 14, respectively, by the other reader; p < 0.001). All iMAR-applied image series showed higher rank scores than the iMAR-unapplied ones. The smallest volumes of low-density artifacts were found in P-0.3i, P0.0i, and iMAR-applied monochromatic images at 130 keV. The smallest volumes of high-density artifacts were noted in P-0.3i. The CNRs were best in polychromatic images using a weighting factor of 0.4 with or without iMAR application, followed by polychromatic images using a weighting factor of 0.0 with or without iMAR application. Conclusion: Polychromatic images combined with iMAR application, P-0.3i and P0.0i, provided better image qualities and substantial metal artifact reduction compared with other image sets.

Virtual Monochromatic Image Quality from Dual-Layer Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Detecting Brain Tumors

  • Shota Tanoue;Takeshi Nakaura;Yasunori Nagayama;Hiroyuki Uetani;Osamu Ikeda;Yasuyuki Yamashita
    • Korean Journal of Radiology
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    • 제22권6호
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    • pp.951-958
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    • 2021
  • Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) obtained using dual-layer dual-energy CT (DL-DECT) for evaluating brain tumors. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 32 patients with brain tumors who had undergone non-contrast head CT using DL-DECT. Among them, 15 had glioblastoma (GBM), 7 had malignant lymphoma, 5 had high-grade glioma other than GBM, 3 had low-grade glioma, and 2 had metastatic tumors. Conventional polychromatic images and VMIs (40-200 keV at 10 keV intervals) were generated. We compared CT attenuation, image noise, contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between tumor and white matter (WM) or grey matter (GM) between VMIs showing the highest CNR (optimized VMI) and conventional CT images using the paired t test. Two radiologists subjectively assessed the contrast, margin, noise, artifact, and diagnostic confidence of optimized VMIs and conventional images on a 4-point scale. Results: The image noise of VMIs at all energy levels tested was significantly lower than that of conventional CT images (p < 0.05). The 40-keV VMIs yielded the best CNR. Furthermore, both contrast and CNR between the tumor and WM were significantly higher in the 40 keV images than in the conventional CT images (p < 0.001); however, the contrast and CNR between tumor and GM were not significantly different (p = 0.47 and p = 0.31, respectively). The subjective scores assigned to contrast, margin, and diagnostic confidence were significantly higher for 40 keV images than for conventional CT images (p < 0.01). Conclusion: In head CT for patients with brain tumors, compared with conventional CT images, 40 keV VMIs from DL-DECT yielded superior tumor contrast and diagnostic confidence, especially for brain tumors located in the WM.

Effects of energy level, reconstruction kernel, and tube rotation time on Hounsfield units of hydroxyapatite in virtual monochromatic images obtained with dual-energy CT

  • Jeong, Dae-Kyo;Lee, Sam-Sun;Kim, Jo-Eun;Huh, Kyung-Hoe;Yi, Won-Jin;Heo, Min-Suk;Choi, Soon-Chul
    • Imaging Science in Dentistry
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    • 제49권4호
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    • pp.273-279
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the effects of energy level, reconstruction kernel, and tube rotation time on Hounsfield unit (HU) values of hydroxyapatite (HA) in virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) obtained with dual-energy computed tomography (DECT)(Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany). Materials and Methods: A bone density calibration phantom with 3 HA inserts of different densities(CTWATER®; 0, 100, and 200 mg of HA/㎤) was scanned using a twin-beam DECT scanner at 120 kVp with tube rotation times of 0.5 and 1.0 seconds. The VMIs were reconstructed by changing the energy level (with options of 40 keV, 70 keV, and 140 keV). In order to investigate the impact of the reconstruction kernel, virtual monochromatic images were reconstructed after changing the kernel from body regular 40 (Br40) to head regular 40 (Hr40) in the reconstruction phase. The mean HU value was measured by placing a circular region of interests (ROIs) in the middle of each insert obtained from the VMIs. The HU values were compared with regard to energy level, reconstruction kernel, and tube rotation time. Results: Hydroxyapatite density was strongly correlated with HU values(correlation coefficient=0.678, P<0.05). For the HA 100 and 200 inserts, HU decreased significantly at increased energy levels(correlation coefficient= -0.538, P<0.05) but increased by 70 HU when using Hr40 rather than Br40 (correlation coefficient=0.158, P<0.05). The tube rotation time did not significantly affect the HU(P>0.05). Conclusion: The HU values of hydroxyapatite were strongly correlated with hydroxyapatite density and energy level in VMIs obtained with DECT.