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Miao H, Williams JC, Josell D. A four-grating interferometer for x-ray multi-contrast imaging. Med Phys 2024; 51:3648-3657. [PMID: 38558430 PMCID: PMC11261508 DOI: 10.1002/mp.17052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND X-ray multi-contrast imaging with gratings provides a practical method to detect differential phase and dark-field contrast images in addition to the x-ray absorption image traditionally obtained in laboratory or hospital environments. Systems have been developed for preclinical applications in areas including breast imaging, lung imaging, rheumatoid arthritis hand imaging and kidney stone imaging. PURPOSE Prevailing x-ray interferometers for multi-contrast imaging include Talbot-Lau interferometers and universal moiré effect-based phase-grating interferometers. Talbot-Lau interferometers suffer from conflict between high interferometer sensitivity and large field of view (FOV) of the object being imaged. A small period analyzer grating is necessary to simultaneously achieve high sensitivity and large FOV within a compact imaging system but is technically challenging to produce for high x-ray energies. Phase-grating interferometers suffer from an intrinsic fringe period ranging from a few micrometers to several hundred micrometers that can hardly be resolved by large area flat panel x-ray detectors. The purpose of this work is to introduce a four-grating x-ray interferometer that simultaneously allows high sensitivity and large FOV, without the need for a small period analyzer grating. METHODS The four-grating interferometer consists of a source grating placed downstream of and close to the x-ray source, a pair of phase gratings separated by a fixed distance placed downstream of the source grating, and an analyzer grating placed upstream of and close to the x-ray detector. The object to be imaged is placed upstream of and close to the phase-grating pair. The distance between the source grating and the phase-grating pair is designed to be far larger than that between the phase-grating pair and the analyzer grating to promote simultaneously high sensitivity and large FOV. The method was evaluated by constructing a four-grating interferometer with an 8 µm period source grating, a pair of phase gratings of 2.4 µm period, and an 8 µm period analyzer grating. RESULTS The fringe visibility of the four-grating interferometer was measured to be ≈24% at 40 kV and ≈18% at 50 kV x-ray tube operating voltage. A quartz bead of 6 mm diameter was imaged to compare the theoretical and experimental phase contrast signal with good agreement. Kidney stone specimens were imaged to demonstrate the potential of such a system for classification of kidney stones. CONCLUSIONS The proposed four-grating interferometer geometry enables a compact x-ray multi-contrast imaging system with simultaneously high sensitivity and large FOV. Relaxation of the requirement for a small period analyzer grating makes it particularly suitable for high x-ray energy applications such as abdomen and chest imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houxun Miao
- General Optics, LLC, Zionsville, Indiana, USA
| | - James C. Williams
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Daniel Josell
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
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Tian Z, Tao S, Bai L, Xu Y, Liu X, Kuang C. A novel fusion method for X-ray phase contrast imaging based on fast adaptive bidimensional empirical mode decomposition. JOURNAL OF X-RAY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2023; 31:1341-1362. [PMID: 37840465 DOI: 10.3233/xst-230180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) can separate the attenuation, refraction, and scattering signals of the object. The application of image fusion enables the concentration of distinctive information into a single image. Some methods have been applied in XPCI field, but wavelet-based decomposition approaches often result in loss of original data. OBJECTIVE To explore the application value of a novel image fusion method for XPCI system and computed tomography (CT) system. METHODS The means of fast adaptive bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (FABEMD) is considered for image decomposition to avoid unnecessary information loss. A parameter δ is proposed to guide the fusion of bidimensional intrinsic mode functions which contain high-frequency information, using a pulse coupled neural network with morphological gradients (MGPCNN). The residual images are fused by the energy attribute fusion strategy. Image preprocessing and enhancement are performed on the result to ensure its quality. The effectiveness of other image fusion methods has been compared, such as discrete wavelet transforms and anisotropic diffusion fusion. RESULTS The δ-guided FABEMD-MGPCNN method achieved either the first or second position in objective evaluation metrics with biological samples, as compared to other image fusion methods. Moreover, comparisons are made with other fusion methods used for XPCI. Finally, the proposed method applied in CT show expected results to retain the feature information. CONCLUSIONS The proposed δ-guided FABEMD-MGPCNN method shows potential feasibility and superiority over traditional and recent image fusion methods for X-ray differential phase contrast imaging and computed tomography systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zonghan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science & Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Siwei Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science & Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ling Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science & Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yueshu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science & Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science & Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
- Ningbo Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Cuifang Kuang
- State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science & Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
- Ningbo Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China
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Zhang X, Su T, Yang J, Zhu J, Xia D, Zheng H, Liang D, Ge Y. Performance evaluation of dual-energy CT and differential phase contrast CT in quantitative imaging applications. Med Phys 2021; 49:1123-1138. [PMID: 34951037 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the quantitative material decomposition performance of the dual-energy CT (DECT) and differential phase contrast CT (DPCT) via numerical observer studies. METHODS The electron density (ρe ) and the effective atomic number (Zeff ) are selected as the decomposition bases. The image domain based decomposition algorithms with certain noise suppression are used to extract the ρe and Zeff information under three different spatial resolutions (0.3 mm, 0.1 mm, and 0.03 mm). The contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) and the numerical human observer model which is sensitive to the noise textures are investigated to compare the quantitative imaging performance of DECT and DPCT under varied radiation dose levels. RESULTS The model observer results show that the DECT is superior to DPCT at 0.3 mm spatial resolution (300 mm object size); the DECT and DPCT show similar quantitative imaging performance at 0.1 mm spatial resolution (100 mm object size); and the DPCT outperforms the DECT by approximately 1.5 times for the 0.3 mm sized imaging target at 0.03 mm spatial resolution (30 mm object size). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the DECT would be recommended to obtain ρe and Zeff for the low spatial resolution quantitative imaging applications such as the diagnostic CT imaging. Whereas, the DPCT would be recommended for ultra high spatial resolution imaging tasks of small objects such as the micro-CT imaging. This study provides a reference to determine the most appropriate quantitative X-ray CT imaging method for a certain radiation dose level. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems of Ministry of Education of China, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.,Research Center for Medical Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ting Su
- Research Center for Medical Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jiecheng Yang
- Research Center for Medical Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jiongtao Zhu
- Research Center for Medical Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dongmei Xia
- Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems of Ministry of Education of China, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Hairong Zheng
- Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dong Liang
- Research Center for Medical Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.,Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yongshuai Ge
- Research Center for Medical Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.,Paul C Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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Pyakurel U, Sun W, Cheung P, D'Moore D, Zhang X, MacDonald CA, Petruccelli JC. Phase and dark-field imaging with mesh-based structured illumination and polycapillary optics. Med Phys 2021; 48:6642-6657. [PMID: 34554583 DOI: 10.1002/mp.15247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE X-ray phase and dark-field (DF) imaging have been shown to improve the diagnostic capabilities of X-ray systems. However, these methods have found limited clinical use due to the need for multiple precision gratings with limited field of view or requirements on X-ray coherence that may not be easily translated to clinical practice. This work aims to develop a practicable X-ray phase and DF imaging system that could be translated and practiced in the clinic. METHODS This work employs a conventional source to create structured illumination with a simple wire mesh. A mesh-shifting algorithm is used to allow wider Fourier windowing to enhance resolution. Deconvolution of the source spot width and camera resolution improves accuracy. Polycapillary optics are employed to enhance coherence. The effects of incorporating optics with two different focal lengths are compared. Information apparent in enhanced absorption images, phase images, and DF images of fat embedded phantoms were compared and subjected to a limited receiver operator characteristic (ROC) study. The DF images of the moist and dry porous object (sponges) were compared. RESULTS The mesh-based phase and DF imaging system constructs images with three different information types: scatter-free absorption images, differential phase images, and scatter magnitude/DF images, simultaneously from the same original image. The polycapillary optic enhances the coherence of the beam. The deblurring technique corrects the phase signal error due to geometrical blur and the limitation of the camera modulation transfer function (MTF) and removes image artifacts to improve the resolution in a single shot. The mesh-shifting method allows the use of a wider Fourier processing window, which gives even higher resolution, at the expense of an increased dose. The limited ROC study confirms the efficacy of the system over the conventional system. DF images of moist and dry porous object show the significance of the system in the imaging of lung infections. CONCLUSION The mesh-based X-ray phase and DF imaging system is an inexpensive and easy setup in terms of alignment and data acquisition and can produce phase and DF images in a single shot with wide field of view. The system shows significant potential for use in diagnostic imaging in a clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uttam Pyakurel
- Department of Physics, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Weiyuan Sun
- Department of Physics, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Pikting Cheung
- Department of Physics, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Desirée D'Moore
- Department of Physics, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Zhang
- Department of Physics, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA.,Nuclear Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Ghani MU, Wu X, Fajardo LL, Jing Z, Wong MD, Zheng B, Omoumi F, Li Y, Yan A, Jenkins P, Hillis SL, Linstroth L, Liu H. Development and preclinical evaluation of a patient-specific high energy x-ray phase sensitive breast tomosynthesis system. Med Phys 2021; 48:2511-2520. [PMID: 33523479 DOI: 10.1002/mp.14743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This article reports the first x-ray phase sensitive breast tomosynthesis (PBT) system that is aimed for direct translation to clinical practice for the diagnosis of breast cancer. PURPOSE To report the preclinical evaluation and comparison of the newly built PBT system with a conventional digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system. METHODS AND MATERIALS The PBT system is developed based on a comprehensive inline phase contrast theoretical model. The system consists of a polyenergetic microfocus x-ray source and a flat panel detector mounted on an arm that is attached to a rotating gantry. It acquires nine projections over a 15° angular span in a stop-and-shoot manner. A dedicated phase retrieval algorithm is integrated with a filtered back-projection method that reconstructs tomographic slices. The American College of Radiology (ACR) accreditation phantom, a contrast detail (CD) phantom and mastectomy tissue samples were imaged at the same glandular dose levels by both the PBT and a standard of care DBT system for image quality characterizations and comparisons. RESULTS The PBT imaging scores with the ACR phantom are in good to excellent range and meet the quality assurance criteria set by the Mammography Quality Standard Act. The CD phantom image comparison and associated statistical analyses from two-alternative forced-choice reader studies confirm the improvement offered by the PBT system in terms of contrast resolution, spatial resolution, and conspicuity. The artifact spread function (ASF) analyses revealed a sizable lateral spread of metal artifacts in PBT slices as compared to DBT slices. Signal-to-noise ratio values for various inserts of the ACR and CD phantoms further validated the superiority of the PBT system. Mastectomy sample images acquired by the PBT system showed a superior depiction of microcalcifications vs the DBT system. CONCLUSION The PBT imaging technology can be clinically employed for improving the accuracy of breast cancer screening and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad U Ghani
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Xizeng Wu
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35249, USA
| | - Laurie L Fajardo
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | | | - Molly D Wong
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Bin Zheng
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Farid Omoumi
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Yuhua Li
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Aimin Yan
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35249, USA
| | - Peter Jenkins
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Stephen L Hillis
- Department of Radiology and Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Laura Linstroth
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA
| | - Hong Liu
- Advanced Medical Imaging Center and School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
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