Characterization of breast calcification types using dual energy x-ray method.

Calcifications are products of mineralization whose presence is usually associated with pathological conditions. The minerals mostly seen in several diseases are calcium oxalate (CaC2O4), calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and hydroxyapatite (HAp). Up to date, there is no in vivo method that could discriminate between minerals. To this aim, a dual energy x-ray method was developed in the present study. An analytical model was implemented for the determination of the Calcium/Phosphorus mass ratio ([Formula: see text]). The simulation was carried out using monoenergetic and polyenergetic x-rays and various calcification thicknesses (100-1000 [Formula: see text]) and types (CaC2O4, CaCO3, HAp). The experimental evaluation of the method was performed using the optimized irradiation conditions obtained from the simulation study. X-ray tubes, combined with energy dispersive and energy integrating (imaging) detectors, were used for the determination of the [Formula: see text] in phantoms of different mineral types and thicknesses. Based on the results of the experimental procedure, statistical significant difference was observed between the different types of minerals when calcification thicknesses were 300 [Formula: see text] or higher.

Polynomial dual energy inverse functions for bone Calcium/Phosphorus ratio determination and experimental evaluation.

An X-ray dual energy (XRDE) method was examined, using polynomial nonlinear approximation of inverse functions for the determination of the bone Calcium-to-Phosphorus (Ca/P) mass ratio. Inverse fitting functions with the least-squares estimation were used, to determine calcium and phosphate thicknesses. The method was verified by measuring test bone phantoms with a dedicated dual energy system and compared with previously published dual energy data. The accuracy in the determination of the calcium and phosphate thicknesses improved with the polynomial nonlinear inverse function method, introduced in this work, (ranged from 1.4% to 6.2%), compared to the corresponding linear inverse function method (ranged from 1.4% to 19.5%).

Dual Energy Method for Breast Imaging: A Simulation Study.

Dual energy methods can suppress the contrast between adipose and glandular tissues in the breast and therefore enhance the visibility of calcifications. In this study, a dual energy method based on analytical modeling was developed for the detection of minimum microcalcification thickness. To this aim, a modified radiographic X-ray unit was considered, in order to overcome the limited kVp range of mammographic units used in previous DE studies, combined with a high resolution CMOS sensor (pixel size of 22.5 µm) for improved resolution. Various filter materials were examined based on their K-absorption edge. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) was used to simulate microcalcifications. The contrast to noise ratio (CNR tc ) of the subtracted images was calculated for both monoenergetic and polyenergetic X-ray beams. The optimum monoenergetic pair was 23/58 keV for the low and high energy, respectively, resulting in a minimum detectable microcalcification thickness of 100 µm. In the polyenergetic X-ray study, the optimal spectral combination was 40/70 kVp filtered with 100 µm cadmium and 1000 µm copper, respectively. In this case, the minimum detectable microcalcification thickness was 150 µm. The proposed dual energy method provides improved microcalcification detectability in breast imaging with mean glandular dose values within acceptable levels.

Bone calcium/phosphorus ratio determination using dual energy X-ray method.

Non-invasive dual energy methods have been used extensively on osteoporosis diagnosis estimating parameters, such as, Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and Bone Mineral Content (BMC). In this study, an X-ray dual energy method (XRDE) was developed for the estimation of the bone Calcium-to-Phosphorous (Ca/P) mass ratio, as a bone quality index. The optimized irradiation parameters were assessed by performing analytical model simulations. X-ray tube output, filter material and thickness were used as input parameters. A single exposure technique, combined with K-edge filtering, was applied. The optimal X-ray spectra were selected according to the resulted precision and accuracy values. Experimental evaluation was performed on an XRDE system incorporating a Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) photon counting detector and three bone phantoms with different nominal mass Ca/P ratios. Additionally, the phantoms' mass Ca/P ratios were validated with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Simulation results showed that the optimum filter atomic number (Z) ranges between 57 and 70. The optimum spectrum was obtained at 100 kVp, filtered with Cerium (Ce), with a surface density of 0.88 g/cm(2). All Ca/P ratio measurements were found to be accurate to within 1.6% of the nominal values, while the precision ranged between 0.91 and 1.37%. The accuracy and precision values of the proposed non-invasive method contributes to the assessment of the bone quality state through the mass Ca/P ratio determination.

A novel easy-to-use phantom for the determination of MTF in SPECT scanners.

PURPOSE: To evaluate modulation transfer function (MTF) in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems using the line spread function (LSF) method and a novel flood source which can be easily fabricated with materials accessible in hospital facilities. METHODS: A Tc-99m-based flood source (E(γ) = 140 keV) consisting of a radiopharmaceutical bound to the grains of a radiographic film was prepared in laboratory. Various films and radiopharmaceuticals were examined, in order to obtain a thin homogenous and reproducible flood source. The source showing best uniformity and reproducibility was placed between two PMMA blocks and images were obtained by using the brain tomographic acquisition protocol (brain) and the myocardial perfusion tomographic acquisition protocol (heart). MTF was evaluated by determining the LSF for various reconstruction methods and filters. MTF calculation was obtained by the utilization of a custom made software in which a method similar to the one proposed by Boone [Med. Phys. 28, 356-360 (2001)] was implemented. All imaging experiments were performed in a Siemens e-Cam γ-camera. Furthermore, MTF was assessed through the point spread function (PSF) following conventional methods. RESULTS: The optimum homogeneity was obtained by immersing an Agfa MammoRay HDR Medical x-ray film in a solution of dithiothreitol (DTT, 10(-3) M)/Tc-99m(III)-DMSA (DMSA: trivalent technetium-99m-dimercapto-succinic acid, 40 mCi/40 ml) for 30 min in the dark. These films exhibited better uniformity (CV < 1.9%). Higher MTF values were obtained for the brain scan protocol with iterative 3D with eight iterations reconstruction method. MTF of the brain protocol was in all cases better than the heart protocol. MTFs derived from LSF were more precise compared with those obtained from PSF since their reproducibility was better in all cases, providing a mean standard deviation of 0.0065, in contrary to the PSF method which gave 0.0348. CONCLUSIONS: The method presented here is novel and easy to implement, requiring materials commonly found in clinical practice. Furthermore, this technique which is based on the LSF method reduces measurement noise levels due to the larger amount of data averaging than in the conventional PSF method. Furthermore, MTF can be assessed easily, in three dimensions (3D), by placing the flood source either in sagittal or coronal direction.

Light emission efficiency and imaging performance of Gd2O2S: Eu powder scintillator under x-ray radiography conditions.

PURPOSE: To evaluate Gd2O2S:Eu powder phosphor as a radiographic image receptor and to compare it to phosphors often used in radiography. Gd2O2S:Eu is nonhygroscopic, emitting red light with decay time close to that of Gd2O2S:Tb. METHODS: The light intensity emitted per unit of x-ray exposure rate (absolute luminescence efficiency) was measured for laboratory prepared screens with coating thicknesses of 33.1, 46.4, 63.1, 78.3, and 139.8 mg/cm2 and tube voltages ranging from 50 to 140 kVp. Parameters related to image quality such as the modulation transfer function (MTF) and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) were also experimentally examined. In addition, a previously validated Monte Carlo code was used to estimate intrinsic x-ray absorption and optical properties, as well as the MTF and the Swank factor (I) of the Gd2O2S:Eu scintillators. RESULTS: Gd2O2S:Eu light intensity was found higher than that of single CsI:T1 crystal for tube voltages up to 100 kVp. The MTF and the DQE were found to be comparable with those of Gd2O2S:Tb and CsI:T1 screens. MTF estimated by the Monte Carlo code was found very close to the experimental MTF values. Gd2O2S:Eu showed peak emission in the wavelength range 620-630 nm. Its emission spectrum was excellently matched to various optical detectors (photodiodes, photocathodes, CCDs, and CMOS) employed in flat panel detectors. CONCLUSIONS: Gd2O2S:Eu is an efficient phosphor potentially well suited to radiography and especially to some digital detectors sensitive to red light.

In vivo measurement of radius calcium/phosphorus ratio by X-ray absorptiometry.

We describe a new method for assessing the skeletal Ca/P ratio in vivo using X-ray absorptiometry. By placing cerium (Ce) and samarium (Sm) filters in the X-ray beam from a commercial X-ray source (Norland), mean photon energies of 39 and 89 keV were obtained. The instrument was designed to take measurements of the forearm, at a site located at the distal 1/3 of the radius. The system was calibrated with three bone phantoms: Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, Ca(HPO4)(H2O)2 and Ca(HPO4)2(H2O)). The precision for measuring the Ca/P ratio in the human radius was 2.3% CV for a skin dose to the forearm ranging from 0.3 to 0.4 mGy, depending on the width of the arm. The Ca/P ratio of the radius was significantly lower in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis than in premenopausal controls.

The influence of inflammation-mediated osteopenia (IMO) on the structure of rabbit bone and skin collagen fibrils.

The influence of Inflammation Mediated Osteopenia (IMO) on rabbit skin and bone (trabecular and cortical) collagen fibrils was studied by electron microscopy. Severe abnormalities in collagen fibril structure were detected, at the ultrastructural level, in skin and bone specimens from IMO rabbits. In treated animals the arrangement of fibrils is anarchic. The overall collagen fibril architecture is disturbed compared to normal. IMO collagen fibrils' mean diameter values were significantly larger than those from controls, in all examined tissues. However, the banding patterns of fibrils were normal in all cases. Computer analysis shows no differences in charged amino acid composition between IMO and untreated samples. Our results show a correlation between the effects induced by osteopenia on skin and bone collagen.

The effects of inflammation-mediated osteoporosis (IMO) on the skeletal Ca/P ratio and on the structure of rabbit bone and skin collagen.

The relationships between the skeletal Ca/P ratio (used as an index of bone quality) and structural changes in the bone and skin was studied in inflammatory mediated osteoporosis (IMO). The bone Ca/P ratio in IMO rabbits was significantly lower than in controls. Also, severe alterations were detected at the ultrastructural level in bone and skin collagen fibrils from IMO rabbits.

The skeletal calcium/phosphorus ratio: a new in vivo method of determination.

We describe a new method for assessing the Ca/P ratio of bone in vivo using gamma-ray photon absorptiometry. The theoretical approach of the method and the estimation of the variance are presented. Two radiation sources, Gd-153 (100 keV), and I-125 (27.5 keV), and a germanium detector were used to determine this ratio. Measurements were made on bone phantoms with different Ca/P ratios; also, the ratio was measured on lamb and sheep tibias, rabbit tibias, and human fingers. Since the accuracy of the method is affected by the amount of fat and collagen in the measurement field, the effect of collagen and fat on the measurements also was investigated. In all cases, the precision of the method, expressed as the coefficient of variation (CV): 100x standard deviation/mean, was near to the theoretical one, ranging from 1.8% to 3.2%. For human fingers, the CV was 3.2%, a value near to the theoretical 2.9% with a dose to the skin ranging from 0.044 to 0.066 mGy, depending on the width of the finger.

An electron microscopic study of collagen fibril structure after lithium treatment--II. The effects of low lithium dose and short treatment on mouse skin collagen.

The structure of mouse skin collagen fibrils, after treatment with lithium chloride at a dose of 0.7 meq/kg of body weight, was studied by electron microscopy. Animals were sacrificed 1-day, 1-, 2- and 6-months after the end of 30 consecutive days experimental period. Fibrils in disarray interspersed with normal ones were seen, although there were areas where the normal parallel packing of fibrils was completely replaced by a random arrangement. In some regions this packing was interrupted by fibrils forming a 'hairpin loop' and in some others helical twisting was apparent. Lithium treated collagen fibrils had a marked decrease in mean diameter compared to normal with a high variability in width. Clusters of abnormal fibrils were found when viewed in cross-sections, constituted approximately 10% of the whole population with an irregular outline. A shorter experimental period (7 days) leads to the same features in collagen disorganization as with the longer experimental period (30 periods). However, in short lithium treatment, there is no high variability in fibril width and although fibrils are smaller than the control, the decrease in mean diameter is not so pronounced as with longer treatment. In general, fibril diameter becomes altered progressively with experimental time. Lower dose, 0.3 meq Li/kg, in short treatment (7 days), leads to a normal collagen organization although in some areas fibril twisting is observed. Fibril diameter is not considerably affected.