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Li M, Guo X, Verma A, Rudkouskaya A, McKenna AM, Intes X, Wang G, Barroso M. Contrast-enhanced photon-counting micro-CT of tumor xenograft models. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:155011. [PMID: 38670143 PMCID: PMC11258216 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad4447] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Objective. Photon-counting micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a major advance in small animal preclinical imaging. Small molecule- and nanoparticle-based contrast agents have been widely used to enable the differentiation of liver tumors from surrounding tissues using photon-counting micro-CT. However, there is a notable gap in the application of these market-available agents to the imaging of breast and ovarian tumors using photon-counting micro-CT. Herein, we have used photon-counting micro-CT to determine the effectiveness of these contrast agents in differentiating ovarian and breast tumor xenografts in live, intact mice.Approach. Nude mice carrying different types of breast and ovarian tumor xenografts (AU565, MDA-MB-231 and SKOV-3 human cancer cells) were injected with ISOVUE-370 (a small molecule-based agent) or Exitron Nano 12000 (a nanoparticle-based agent) and subjected to photon-counting micro-CT. To improve tumor visualization using photon-counting micro-CT, we developed a novel color visualization method, which changes color tones to highlight contrast media distribution, offering a robust alternative to traditional material decomposition methods with less computational demand.Main results. Ourin vivoexperiments confirm the effectiveness of this color visualization approach, showing distinct enhancement characteristics for each contrast agent. Qualitative and quantitative analyses suggest that Exitron Nano 12000 provides superior vasculature enhancement and better quantitative consistency across scans, while ISOVUE-370 delivers a more comprehensive tumor enhancement but with significant variance between scans due to its short blood half-time. Further, a paired t-test on mean and standard deviation values within tumor volumes showed significant differences between the AU565 and SKOV-3 tumor models with the nanoparticle-based contrast agent (p-values < 0.02), attributable to their distinct vascularity, as confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis.Significance. These findings underscore the utility of photon-counting micro-CT in non-invasively assessing the morphology and anatomy of different tumor xenografts, which is crucial for tumor characterization and longitudinal monitoring of tumor progression and response to treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhou Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States of America
| | - Xiaodong Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States of America
| | - Amit Verma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, United States of America
| | - Alena Rudkouskaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, United States of America
| | - Antigone M McKenna
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States of America
| | - Xavier Intes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States of America
| | - Ge Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States of America
| | - Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, United States of America
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Fletcher JG, Inoue A, Bratt A, Horst KK, Koo CW, Rajiah PS, Baffour FI, Ko JP, Remy-Jardin M, McCollough CH, Yu L. Photon-counting CT in Thoracic Imaging: Early Clinical Evidence and Incorporation Into Clinical Practice. Radiology 2024; 310:e231986. [PMID: 38501953 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.231986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Photon-counting CT (PCCT) is an emerging advanced CT technology that differs from conventional CT in its ability to directly convert incident x-ray photon energies into electrical signals. The detector design also permits substantial improvements in spatial resolution and radiation dose efficiency and allows for concurrent high-pitch and high-temporal-resolution multienergy imaging. This review summarizes (a) key differences in PCCT image acquisition and image reconstruction compared with conventional CT; (b) early evidence for the clinical benefit of PCCT for high-spatial-resolution diagnostic tasks in thoracic imaging, such as assessment of airway and parenchymal diseases, as well as benefits of high-pitch and multienergy scanning; (c) anticipated radiation dose reduction, depending on the diagnostic task, and increased utility for routine low-dose thoracic CT imaging; (d) adaptations for thoracic imaging in children; (e) potential for further quantitation of thoracic diseases; and (f) limitations and trade-offs. Moreover, important points for conducting and interpreting clinical studies examining the benefit of PCCT relative to conventional CT and integration of PCCT systems into multivendor, multispecialty radiology practices are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel G Fletcher
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Akitoshi Inoue
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Alex Bratt
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Kelly K Horst
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Chi Wan Koo
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Prabhakar Shantha Rajiah
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Francis I Baffour
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Jane P Ko
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Martine Remy-Jardin
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Cynthia H McCollough
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
| | - Lifeng Yu
- From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905 (J.G.F., A.I., A.B., K.K.H., C.W.K., P.S.R., F.I.B., C.H.M., L.Y.); Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan (A.I.); Department of Radiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY (J.P.K.); and IMALLIANCE-Haut-de-France, Valenciennes, France (M.R.J.)
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Richtsmeier D, Rodesch PA, Iniewski K, Bazalova-Carter M. Material decomposition with a prototype photon-counting detector CT system: expanding a stoichiometric dual-energy CT method via energy bin optimization and K-edge imaging. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:055001. [PMID: 38306974 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad25c8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Computed tomography (CT) has advanced since its inception, with breakthroughs such as dual-energy CT (DECT), which extracts additional information by acquiring two sets of data at different energies. As high-flux photon-counting detectors (PCDs) become available, PCD-CT is also becoming a reality. PCD-CT can acquire multi-energy data sets in a single scan by spectrally binning the incident x-ray beam. With this, K-edge imaging becomes possible, allowing high atomic number (high-Z) contrast materials to be distinguished and quantified. In this study, we demonstrated that DECT methods can be converted to PCD-CT systems by extending the method of Bourqueet al(2014). We optimized the energy bins of the PCD for this purpose and expanded the capabilities by employing K-edge subtraction imaging to separate a high-atomic number contrast material.Approach.The method decomposes materials into their effective atomic number (Zeff) and electron density relative to water (ρe). The model was calibrated and evaluated using tissue-equivalent materials from the RMI Gammex electron density phantom with knownρevalues and elemental compositions. TheoreticalZeffvalues were found for the appropriate energy ranges using the elemental composition of the materials.Zeffvaried slightly with energy but was considered a systematic error. Anex vivobovine tissue sample was decomposed to evaluate the model further and was injected with gold chloride to demonstrate the separation of a K-edge contrast agent.Main results.The mean root mean squared percent errors on the extractedZeffandρefor PCD-CT were 0.76% and 0.72%, respectively and 1.77% and 1.98% for DECT. The tissue types in theex vivobovine tissue sample were also correctly identified after decomposition. Additionally, gold chloride was separated from theex vivotissue sample with K-edge imaging.Significance.PCD-CT offers the ability to employ DECT material decomposition methods, along with providing additional capabilities such as K-edge imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon Richtsmeier
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Pierre-Antoine Rodesch
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Kris Iniewski
- Redlen Techologies, 1763 Sean Heights, Saanichton, British Columbia V8M 1X6, Canada
| | - Magdalena Bazalova-Carter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
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Bousse A, Kandarpa VSS, Rit S, Perelli A, Li M, Wang G, Zhou J, Wang G. Systematic Review on Learning-based Spectral CT. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON RADIATION AND PLASMA MEDICAL SCIENCES 2024; 8:113-137. [PMID: 38476981 PMCID: PMC10927029 DOI: 10.1109/trpms.2023.3314131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Spectral computed tomography (CT) has recently emerged as an advanced version of medical CT and significantly improves conventional (single-energy) CT. Spectral CT has two main forms: dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) and photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT), which offer image improvement, material decomposition, and feature quantification relative to conventional CT. However, the inherent challenges of spectral CT, evidenced by data and image artifacts, remain a bottleneck for clinical applications. To address these problems, machine learning techniques have been widely applied to spectral CT. In this review, we present the state-of-the-art data-driven techniques for spectral CT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Bousse
- LaTIM, Inserm UMR 1101, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 29238 Brest, France
| | | | - Simon Rit
- Univ Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Étienne, CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1294, F-69373, Lyon, France
| | - Alessandro Perelli
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Mengzhou Li
- Biomedical Imaging Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Guobao Wang
- Department of Radiology, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, USA
| | - Jian Zhou
- CTIQ, Canon Medical Research USA, Inc., Vernon Hills, 60061, USA
| | - Ge Wang
- Biomedical Imaging Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
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Lee D, Zhan X, Tai WY, Zbijewski W, Taguchi K. Improving model-data mismatch for photon-counting detector model using global and local model parameters. Med Phys 2024; 51:964-977. [PMID: 38064641 DOI: 10.1002/mp.16883] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An energy-discriminating capability of a photon counting detector (PCD) can provide many clinical advantages, but several factors, such as charge sharing (CS) and pulse pileup (PP), degrade the capability by distorting the measured x-ray spectrum. To fully exploit the merits of PCDs, it is important to characterize the output of PCDs. Previously proposed PCD output models showed decent agreement with physical PCDs; however, there were still scopes to be improved: a global model-data mismatch and pixel-to-pixel variations. PURPOSES In this study, we improve a PCD model by using count-rate-dependent model parameters to address the issues and evaluate agreement against physical PCDs. METHODS The proposed model is based on the cascaded model, and we made model parameters condition-dependent and pixel-specific to deal with the global model-data mismatch and the pixel-to-pixel variation. The parameters are determined by a procedure for model parameter estimation with data acquired from different thicknesses of water or aluminum at different x-ray tube currents. To analyze the effects of having proposed model parameters, we compared three setups of our model: a model with default parameters, a model with global parameters, and a model with global-and-local parameters. For experimental validation, we used CdZnTe-based PCDs, and assessed the performance of the models by calculating the mean absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) between the model outputs and the actual measurements from low count-rates to high count-rates, which have deadtime losses of up to 24%. RESULTS The outputs of the proposed model visually matched well with the PCD measurements for all test data. For the test data, the MAPEs averaged over all the bins were 49.2-51.1% for a model with default parameters, 8.0-9.8% for a model with the global parameters, and 1.2-2.7% for a model with the global-and-local parameters. CONCLUSION The proposed model can estimate the outputs of physical PCDs with high accuracy from low to high count-rates. We expect that our model will be actively utilized in applications where the pixel-by-pixel accuracy of a PCD model is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghyeon Lee
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiaohui Zhan
- The Canon Medical Research USA, Inc., Vernon Hills, Illinois, USA
| | - W Yang Tai
- The Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Wojciech Zbijewski
- The Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Katsuyuki Taguchi
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Bousse A, Kandarpa VSS, Rit S, Perelli A, Li M, Wang G, Zhou J, Wang G. Systematic Review on Learning-based Spectral CT. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2304.07588v8. [PMID: 37461421 PMCID: PMC10350100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Spectral computed tomography (CT) has recently emerged as an advanced version of medical CT and significantly improves conventional (single-energy) CT. Spectral CT has two main forms: dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) and photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT), which offer image improvement, material decomposition, and feature quantification relative to conventional CT. However, the inherent challenges of spectral CT, evidenced by data and image artifacts, remain a bottleneck for clinical applications. To address these problems, machine learning techniques have been widely applied to spectral CT. In this review, we present the state-of-the-art data-driven techniques for spectral CT.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Simon Rit
- Univ. Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, UJM-Saint Étienne, CNRS, Inserm, CREATIS UMR 5220, U1294, F-69373, Lyon, France
| | - Alessandro Perelli
- School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, DD1 4HN Dundee, U.K
| | - Mengzhou Li
- Biomedical Imaging Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 USA
| | - Guobao Wang
- Department of Radiology, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA 95817 USA
| | - Jian Zhou
- CTIQ, Canon Medical Research USA, Inc., Vernon Hills, IL 60061 USA
| | - Ge Wang
- Biomedical Imaging Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 USA
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Li M, Guo X, Verma A, Rudkouskaya A, McKenna AM, Intes X, Wang G, Barroso M. Contrast-enhanced photon-counting micro-CT of tumor xenograft models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.03.574097. [PMID: 38260707 PMCID: PMC10802390 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.03.574097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Photon-counting micro computed tomography (micro-CT) offers new potential in preclinical imaging, particularly in distinguishing materials. It becomes especially helpful when combined with contrast agents, enabling the differentiation of tumors from surrounding tissues. There are mainly two types of contrast agents in the market for micro-CT: small molecule-based and nanoparticle-based. However, despite their widespread use in liver tumor studies, there is a notable gap in research on the application of these commercially available agents for photon-counting micro-CT in breast and ovarian tumors. Herein, we explored the effectiveness of these agents in differentiating tumor xenografts from various origins (AU565, MDA-MB-231, and SKOV-3) in nude mice, using photon-counting micro-CT. Specifically, ISOVUE-370 (a small molecule-based agent) and Exitrone Nano 12000 (a nanoparticle-based agent) were investigated in this context. To improve tumor visualization, we proposed a novel color visualization method for photon-counting micro-CT, which changes color tones to highlight contrast media distribution, offering a robust alternative to traditional material decomposition methods with less computational demand. Our in vivo experiments confirm its effectiveness, showing distinct enhancement characteristics for each contrast agent. Qualitative and quantitative analyses suggested that Exitrone Nano 12000 provides superior vasculature enhancement and better quantitative consistency across scans, while ISOVUE-370 gives more comprehensive tumor enhancement but with a significant variance between scans due to its short blood half-time. This variability leads to high sensitivity to timing and individual differences among mice. Further, a paired t-test on mean and standard deviation values within tumor volumes showed significant differences between the AU565 and SKOV-3 tumor models with the nanoparticle-based (p-values < 0.02), attributable to their distinct vascularity, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry. These findings underscore the utility of photon-counting micro-CT in non-invasively assessing the morphology and anatomy of different tumor xenografts, which is crucial for tumor characterization and longitudinal monitoring of tumor development and response to treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhou Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Xiaodong Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Amit Verma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Alena Rudkouskaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Antigone M. McKenna
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Xavier Intes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Ge Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
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章 浩, 李 树, 刘 颖, 路 鹤. [A comprehensive review on photon-counting computed tomography: Principles, technical hurdles and analysis of clinical applications]. SHENG WU YI XUE GONG CHENG XUE ZA ZHI = JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING = SHENGWU YIXUE GONGCHENGXUE ZAZHI 2023; 40:1012-1018. [PMID: 37879932 PMCID: PMC10600420 DOI: 10.7507/1001-5515.202305015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, photon-counting computed tomography (PCD-CT) based on photon-counting detectors (PCDs) has become increasingly utilized in clinical practice. Compared with conventional CT, PCD-CT has the potential to achieve micron-level spatial resolution, lower radiation dose, negligible electronic noise, multi-energy imaging, and material identification, etc. This advancement facilitates the promotion of ultra-low dose scans in clinical scenarios, potentially detecting minimal and hidden lesions, thus significantly improving image quality. However, the current state of the art is limited and issues such as charge sharing, pulse pileup, K-escape and count rate drift remain unresolved. These issues could lead to a decrease in image resolution and energy resolution, while an increasing in image noise and ring artifact and so on. This article systematically reviewed the physical principles of PCD-CT, and outlined the structural differences between PCDs and energy integration detectors (EIDs), and the current challenges in the development of PCD-CT. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of three detector materials were analysed. Then, the clinical benefits of PCD-CT were presented through the clinical application of PCD-CT in the three diseases with the highest mortality rate in China (cardiovascular disease, tumour and respiratory disease). The overall aim of the article is to comprehensively assist medical professionals in understanding the technological innovations and current technical limitations of PCD-CT, while highlighting the urgent problems that PCD-CT needs to address in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- 浩伟 章
- 上海理工大学 健康科学与工程学院(上海 200093)School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, P. R. China
| | - 树晗 李
- 上海理工大学 健康科学与工程学院(上海 200093)School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, P. R. China
| | - 颖 刘
- 上海理工大学 健康科学与工程学院(上海 200093)School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, P. R. China
| | - 鹤晴 路
- 上海理工大学 健康科学与工程学院(上海 200093)School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, P. R. China
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Treb K, Radtke J, Culberson WS, Li K. Simultaneous photon counting and charge integrating for pulse pile-up correction in paralyzable photon counting detectors. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68:10.1088/1361-6560/ace2a9. [PMID: 37379858 PMCID: PMC10415089 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ace2a9] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Objective.In photon counting detectors (PCDs), electric pulses induced by two or more x-ray photons can pile up and result in count losses when their temporal separation is less than the detector dead time. The correction of pulse pile-up-induced count loss is particularly difficult for paralyzable PCDs since a given value of recorded counts can correspond to two different values of true photon interactions. In contrast, charge (energy) integrating detectors work by integrating collected electric charge induced by x-rays over time and do not suffer from pile-up losses. This work introduces an inexpensive readout circuit element to the circuits of PCDs to simultaneously collect time-integrated charge to correct pile-up-induced count losses.Approach.Prototype electronics were constructed to collect time-integrated charges simultaneously with photon counts. A splitter was used to feed the electric signal in parallel to both a digital counter and a charge integrator. After recording PCD counts and integrating collected charge, a lookup table can be generated to map raw counts in the total- and high-energy bins and total charge to estimate pile-up-free true counts. Proof-of-concept imaging experiments were performed with a CdTe-based PCD array to test this method.Main results.The proposed electronics successfully recorded photon counts and time-integrated charge simultaneously, and whereas photon counts exhibited paralyzable pulse pile-up, time-integrated charge using the same electric signal as the counts measurement was linear with x-ray flux. With the proposed correction, paralyzable PCD counts became linear with input flux for both total- and high-energy bins. At high flux levels, uncorrected post-log measurements of PMMA objects severely overestimated radiological path lengths for both energy bins. After the proposed correction, the non-monotonic measurements again became linear with flux and accurately represented the true radiological path lengths. No impact on the spatial resolution was observed after the proposed correction in images of a line-pair test pattern.Significance.Time-integrated charge can be used to correct for pulse pile-up in paralyzable PCDs where analytical solutions may be difficult to use, and integrated charge can be collected simultaneously with counts using inexpensive electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Treb
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Jeff Radtke
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Wesley S Culberson
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, United States of America
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Wang N, Li M, Haverinen P. Photon-counting computed tomography thermometry via material decomposition and machine learning. Vis Comput Ind Biomed Art 2023; 6:2. [PMID: 36640198 PMCID: PMC9840722 DOI: 10.1186/s42492-022-00129-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermal ablation procedures, such as high intensity focused ultrasound and radiofrequency ablation, are often used to eliminate tumors by minimally invasively heating a focal region. For this task, real-time 3D temperature visualization is key to target the diseased tissues while minimizing damage to the surroundings. Current computed tomography (CT) thermometry is based on energy-integrated CT, tissue-specific experimental data, and linear relationships between attenuation and temperature. In this paper, we develop a novel approach using photon-counting CT for material decomposition and a neural network to predict temperature based on thermal characteristics of base materials and spectral tomographic measurements of a volume of interest. In our feasibility study, distilled water, 50 mmol/L CaCl2, and 600 mmol/L CaCl2 are chosen as the base materials. Their attenuations are measured in four discrete energy bins at various temperatures. The neural network trained on the experimental data achieves a mean absolute error of 3.97 °C and 1.80 °C on 300 mmol/L CaCl2 and a milk-based protein shake respectively. These experimental results indicate that our approach is promising for handling non-linear thermal properties for materials that are similar or dissimilar to our base materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Wang
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | - Mengzhou Li
- grid.33647.350000 0001 2160 9198Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 USA
| | - Petteri Haverinen
- grid.5373.20000000108389418Aalto Design Factory, Aalto University, Espoo, 02150 Finland
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