The operation of the bowtie filter in x-ray CT is correct if the object being scanned is properly centered in the scanner's field-of-view. Otherwise, the dose delivered to the patient and image noise will deviate from optimal setting. We investigate the effect of miscentering on image noise and surface dose on three commercial CT scanners. Six cylindrical phantoms with different size and material were scanned on each scanner. The phantoms were positioned at 0, 2, 4 and 6 cm below the isocenter of the scanner's field-of-view. Regression models of surface dose and noise were produced as a function of miscentering magnitude and phantom's size. 480 patients were assessed using the calculated regression models to estimate the influence of patient miscentering on image noise and patient surface dose in seven imaging centers. For the 64-slice CT scanner, the maximum increase of surface dose using the CTDI-32 phantom was 13.5%, 33.3% and 51.1% for miscenterings of 2, 4 and 6 cm, respectively. The analysis of patients' scout scans showed miscentering of 2.2 cm in average below the isocenter. An average increase of 23% and 7% was observed for patient dose and image noise, respectively. The maximum variation in patient miscentering derived from the comparison of imaging centers using the same scanner was 1.6 cm. Patient miscentering may substantially

This review identifies the important roles of F-AuNPs in current cancer studies that are being undertaken worldwide. The findings of this review confirm that F-AuNP is a new theranostic agent, which has a great potential for simultaneous cancer therapy and diagnosis.

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Objective: Recently introduced energy-sensitive X-ray CT makes it feasible to discriminate different nanoparticulate contrast materials. The purpose of this work is to present a K-edge ratio method for differentiating multiple simultaneous contrast agents using spectral CT. Methods: The ratio of two images relevant to energy bins straddling the K-edge of the materials is calculated using an analytic CT simulator. In the resulting parametric map, the selected contrast agent regions can be identified using a thresholding algorithm. The K-edge ratio algorithm is applied to spectral images of simulated phantoms to identify and differentiate up to four simultaneous and targeted CT contrast agents. Results: We show that different combinations of simultaneous CT contrast agents can be identified by the proposed K-edge ratio method when energy-sensitive CT is used. In the K-edge parametric maps, the pixel values for biological tissues and contrast agents reach a maximum of 0.95, whereas for the selected contrast agents, the pixel values are larger than 1.10. The number of contrast agents that can be discriminated is limited owing to photon starvation. For reliable material discrimination, minimum photon counts corresponding to 140 kVp, 100 mAs and 5-mm slice thickness must be used. Conclusion: The proposed K-edge ratio method is a straightforward and fast method for identification and discrimination of multiple simultaneous CT contrast agents. Advances in knowledge: A new spectral CT-based algorithm is proposed which provides a new concept of molecular CT imaging by non-iteratively identifying multiple contrast agents when they are simultaneously targeting different organs.Despite remarkable advances in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures during the past two decades, annual reports still indicate that cancer remains a challenging disease all over the world. To reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by cancer and many other diseases, endeavours spanning technological innovations in imaging systems to the development of nanoparticulate (NP) materials aim at improving clinical diagnosis and therapy planning. Numerous high-atomic-number agents have been investigated for X-ray imaging applications, such as bismuth [1] [11]. Moreover, NP CT contrast agents proved to be promising in the context of molecular imaging owing to their higher diagnostic efficacy than current contrast agents [12][13][14]. Targetability and high circulation time in vivo make it possible to use multiple contrast agents simultaneously and integrate multiple phases of diagnostic imaging in a single scan. This may decrease CT radiation dose, drug dose and diagnosis time, with higher sensitivity and specificity [12].Although the use of multiple high-atomic-number contrast agents may improve the efficiency of clinical diagnosis, it would require differentiation of the contrast agents used simultaneously. However, owing to the wide range of atomic numbers and concentrations in the body, conventional CT that uses an integrating detection system is unlike...

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Beam hardening filters have long been employed in X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) to preferentially absorb soft and low-energy X-rays having no or little contribution to image formation, thus allowing the reduction of patient dose and beam hardening artefacts. In this work, we studied the influence of additional copper (Cu) and aluminium (Al) flat filters on patient dose and image quality and seek an optimum filter thickness for the GE LightSpeed VCT 64-slice CT scanner using experimental phantom measurements. Different thicknesses of Cu and Al filters (0.5-1.6mm Cu, 0.5-4mm Al) were installed on the scanner's collimator. A planar phantom consisting of 13 slabs of Cu having different thicknesses was designed and scanned to assess the impact of beam filtration on contrast in the intensity domain (CT detector's output). To assess image contrast and image noise, a cylindrical phantom consisting of a polyethylene cylinder having 16 holes filled with different concentrations of K2HPO4 solution mimicking different tissue types was used. The GE performance and the standard head CT dose index (CTDI) phantoms were also used to assess image resolution characterized by the modulation transfer function (MTF) and patient dose defined by the weighted CTDI. A 100mm pencil ionization chamber was used for CTDI measurement. Finally, an optimum filter thickness was determined from an objective figure of merit (FOM) metric. The results show that the contrast is somewhat compromised with filter thickness in both the planar and cylindrical phantoms. The contrast of the K2HPO4 solutions in the cylindrical phantom was degraded by up to 10% for a 0.68mm Cu filter and 6% for a 4.14mm Al filter. It was shown that additional filters increase image noise which impaired the detectability of low density K2HPO4 solutions. It was found that with a 0.48mm Cu filter the 50% MTF value is shifted by about 0.77lp/cm compared to the case where the filter is not used. An added Cu filter with approximately 0.5mm thickness accounts for 50% reduction in radiation-absorbed dose as measured by the weighted CTDI. The FOM results indicate that with an additional filter of 0.5mm Cu or minimum 4mm Al, a good compromise between image quality and patient dose is achieved for CT images acquired at tube voltages of 120 and 140kVp. The results seem to indicate that an optimum filter for high kVp acquisitions, routinely used in cardiovascular imaging, should be 0.5mm copper or 4mm aluminium minimum.

Compton scatter poses a significant threat to volumetric x-ray computed tomography, bringing cupping and streak artefacts thus impacting qualitative and quantitative imaging procedures. To perform appropriate scatter compensation, it is necessary to estimate the magnitude and spatial distribution of x-ray scatter. The aim of this study is to compare three experimental methods for measurement of the scattered radiation profile in a 64-slice CT scanner. The explored techniques involve the use of collimator shadow, a single blocker (a lead bar that suppresses the primary radiation) and an array blocker. The latter was recently proposed and validated by our group. The collimator shadow technique was used as reference for comparison since it established itself as the most accurate experimental procedure available today. The mean relative error of measurements in all tube voltages was 3.9 +/- 5.5% (with a maximum value of 20%) for the single blocker method whereas it was 1.4 +/- 1.1% (with a maximum value of 5%) for the proposed blocker array method. The calculated scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) using the blocker array method for the tube voltages of 140 kVp and 80 kVp was 0.148 and 1.034, respectively. For a larger polypropylene phantom, the maximum SPR achieved was 0.803 and 6.458 at 140 kVp and 80 kVp, respectively. Although the three compared methods present a reasonable accuracy for calculation of the scattered profile in the region corresponding to the object, the collimator shadow method is by far the most accurate empirical technique. Nevertheless, the blocker array method is relatively straightforward for scatter estimation providing minor additional radiation exposure to the patient.