PurposeTo estimate potential dose reduction in abdominal CT by visually comparing images reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) and strengths of 3 and 5 of a specific MBIR.Material and methodsA dual-source scanner was used to obtain three data sets each for 50 recruited patients with 30, 70 and 100% tube loads (mean CTDIvol 1.9, 3.4 and 6.2 mGy). Six image criteria were assessed independently by five radiologists. Potential dose reduction was estimated with Visual Grading Regression (VGR).ResultsComparing 30 and 70% tube load, improved image quality was observed as a significant strong effect of log tube load and reconstruction method with potential dose reduction relative to FBP of 22–47% for MBIR strength 3 (p < 0.001). For MBIR strength 5 no dose reduction was possible for image criteria 1 (liver parenchyma), but dose reduction between 34 and 74% was achieved for other criteria. Interobserver reliability showed agreement of 71–76% (κw 0.201–0.286) and intra-observer reliability of 82–96% (κw 0.525–0.783).ConclusionMBIR showed improved image quality compared to FBP with positive correlation between MBIR strength and increasing potential dose reduction for all but one image criterion.Key Points• MBIR’s main advantage is its de-noising properties, which facilitates dose reduction.• MBIR allows for potential dose reduction in relation to FBP.• Visual Grading Regression (VGR) produces direct numerical estimates of potential dose reduction.• MBIR strengths 3 and 5 dose reductions were 22–34 and 34–74%.• MBIR strength 5 demonstrates inferior performance for liver parenchyma.

To determine the effect of tube load, model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) strength and slice thickness in abdominal CT using visual comparison of multi-planar reconstruction images. Method: Five image criteria were assessed independently by four radiologists on two data sets at 42-and 98-mAs tube loads for 25 patients examined on a 192-slice dual-source CT scanner. Effect of tube load, MBIR strength, slice thickness and potential dose reduction was estimated with Visual Grading Regression (VGR). Objective image quality was determined by measuring noise (SD), contrast-to-noise (CNR) ratio and noise-power spectra (NPS). Results: Comparing 42-and 98-mAs tube loads, improved image quality was observed as a strong effect of log tube load regardless of MBIR strength (p < 0.001). Comparing strength 5 to 3, better image quality was obtained for two criteria (p < 0.01), but inferior for liver parenchyma and overall image quality. Image quality was significantly better for slice thicknesses of 2mm and 3mm compared to 1mm, with potential dose reductions between 24%-41%. As expected, with decrease in slice thickness and algorithm strength, the noise power and SD (HU-values) increased, while the CNR decreased. Conclusion: Increasing slice thickness from 1 mm to 2 mm or 3 mm allows for a possible dose reduction. MBIR strength 5 shows improved image quality for three out of five criteria for 1 mm slice thickness. Increasing MBIR strength from 3 to 5 has diverse effects on image quality. Our findings do not support a general recommendation to replace strength 3 by strength 5 in clinical abdominal CT protocols. However, strength 5 may be used in taskbased protocols.

Automatic exposure control (AEC) in Computed Tomography (CT) facilitates optimization of dose absorbed by the patient. The use of AEC requires appropriate "patient centering" within the gantry, since positioning the patient off-center may affect both image quality and absorbed dose. The aim of this experimental study was to measure the variation in organ and abdominal surface dose during CT examinations of the head, neck/thorax and abdomen. The dose was compared at the isocenter with two off-center positions -ventral and dorsal to the isocenter.Measurements were made with anthropomorphic adult phantom and thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs). Organs and surfaces for ventral regions received lesser dose (5.6% -39.0%) than the isocenter when the phantom was positioned +3cm off-center. Similarly, organ and surface doses for dorsal regions were reduced by 5.0% -21.0% at ˗5 cm off-center.Therefore correct vertical positioning of the patient at the gantry isocenter is important to maintain optimal imaging conditions.

Traditional filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction methods have served the computed tomography (CT) community well for over 40 years. With the increased use of CT during the last decades, efforts to minimise patient exposure, while maintaining sufficient or improved image quality, have led to the development of model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) algorithms from several vendors. The usefulness of the advanced modeled iterative reconstruction (ADMIRE) (Siemens Healthineers) MBIR in abdominal CT is reviewed and its noise suppression and/or dose reduction possibilities explored. Quantitative and qualitative methods with phantom and human subjects were used. Assessment of the quality of phantom images will not always correlate positively with those of patient images, particularly at the higher strength of the ADMIRE algorithm. With few exceptions, ADMIRE Strength 3 typically allows for substantial noise reduction compared to FBP and hence to significant (≈30%) patient dose reductions. The size of the dose reductions depends on the diagnostic task.

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