A methodology for incorporating a photon-counting CT system into routine clinical use.

Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) systems are increasingly available in the U.S. following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first clinical PCCT system in Fall 2021.

Quantitation of tumor uptake with molecular breast imaging.

Purpose: We developed scatter and attenuation-correction techniques for quantifying images obtained with Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) systems.

Methods: To investigate scatter correction, energy spectra of a Tc point source were acquired with 0-7-cm-thick acrylic to simulate scatter between the detector heads. System-specific scatter correction factor, k, was calculated as a function of thickness using a dual energy window technique.

Quantitation of clinical feedback on image quality differences between two CT scanner models.

The aim of this work was to quantitate differences in image quality between two GE CT scanner models - the LightSpeed VCT ("VCT") and Discovery HD750 ("HD") - based upon feedback from radiologists at our institution. First, 3 yrs of daily QC images of the manufacturer-provided QC phantom from 10 scanners - five of each model - were analyzed for both noise magnitude, measured as CT-number standard deviation, and noise power spectrum within the uniform water section. The same phantom was then scanned on four of each model and analyzed for low contrast detectability (LCD) using a built-in LCD tool at the scanner console.

Investigating the accuracy of microstereotactic-body-radiotherapy utilizing anatomically accurate 3D printed rodent-morphic dosimeters.

Purpose: Sophisticated small animal irradiators, incorporating cone-beam-CT image-guidance, have recently been developed which enable exploration of the efficacy of advanced radiation treatments in the preclinical setting. Microstereotactic-body-radiation-therapy (microSBRT) is one technique of interest, utilizing field sizes in the range of 1-15 mm. Verification of the accuracy of microSBRT treatment delivery is challenging due to the lack of available methods to comprehensively measure dose distributions in representative phantoms with sufficiently high spatial resolution and in 3 dimensions (3D).