Investigation of spectral performance for single-scan contrast-enhanced breast CT using photon-counting technology: A phantom study.

Purpose: Contrast-enhanced imaging of the breast is frequently used in breast MRI and has recently become more common in mammography. The purpose of this study was to make single-scan contrast-enhanced imaging feasible for photon-counting breast CT (pcBCT) and to assess the spectral performance of a pcBCT scanner by evaluating iodine maps and virtual non-contrast (VNC) images.

Methods: We optimized the settings of a pcBCT to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio between iodinated contrast agent and breast tissue.

Dedicated Breast Computed Tomography With a Photon-Counting Detector: Initial Results of Clinical In Vivo Imaging.

Objectives: The purpose of this work is to present the data obtained from the first clinical in vivo application of a new dedicated spiral breast computed tomography (B-CT) equipped with a photon-counting detector.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved this retrospective study. Twelve women referred for breast cancer screening were included and underwent bilateral spiral B-CT acquired in prone position.

Metal Artifact Reduction in X-ray Computed Tomography Using Computer-Aided Design Data of Implants as Prior Information.

Objectives: The performance of metal artifact reduction (MAR) methods in x-ray computed tomography (CT) suffers from incorrect identification of metallic implants in the artifact-affected volumetric images. The aim of this study was to investigate potential improvements of state-of-the-art MAR methods by using prior information on geometry and material of the implant.

Materials And Methods: The influence of a novel prior knowledge-based segmentation (PS) compared with threshold-based segmentation (TS) on 2 MAR methods (linear interpolation [LI] and normalized-MAR [NORMAR]) was investigated.

Performance of Photon-Counting Breast Computed Tomography, Digital Mammography, and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis in Evaluating Breast Specimens.

Rationale And Objectives: This study compared a novel photon-counting breast computed tomography (pcBCT) system with digital mammography (DM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) systems. For this reason, surgical specimens were examined with all three techniques and rated by three observers.

Materials And Methods: A total of 30 surgical specimens were investigated with DM, DBT, and pcBCT; the associated images were shown to three experienced radiologists.

Securing safe and informative thoracic CT examinations-Progress of radiation dose reduction techniques.

The increase in the radiation exposure from CT examinations prompted the investigation on the various dose-reduction techniques. Significant dose reduction has been achieved and the level of radiation exposure of thoracic CT is expected to reach the level equivalent to several chest X-ray examinations. With more scanners with advanced dose reduction capability deployed, knowledge on the radiation dose reduction methods has become essential to clinical practice as well as academic research.