skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Optimal kVp selection for dual-energy imaging of the chest: Evaluation by task-specific observer preference tests

Abstract

Human observer performance tests were conducted to identify optimal imaging techniques in dual-energy (DE) imaging of the chest with respect to a variety of visualization tasks for soft and bony tissue. Specifically, the effect of kVp selection in low- and high-energy projection pairs was investigated. DE images of an anthropomorphic chest phantom formed the basis for observer studies, decomposed from low-energy and high-energy projections in the range 60-90 kVp and 120-150 kVp, respectively, with total dose for the DE image equivalent to that of a single chest radiograph. Five expert radiologists participated in observer preference tests to evaluate differences in image quality among the DE images. For visualization of soft-tissue structures in the lung, the [60/130] kVp pair provided optimal image quality, whereas [60/140] kVp proved optimal for delineation of the descending aorta in the retrocardiac region. Such soft-tissue detectability tasks exhibited a strong dependence on the low-kVp selection (with 60 kVp providing maximum soft-tissue conspicuity) and a weaker dependence on the high-kVp selection (typically highest at 130-140 kVp). Qualitative examination of DE bone-only images suggests optimal bony visualization at a similar technique, viz., [60/140] kVp. Observer preference was largely consistent with quantitative analysis of contrast, noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio,more » with subtle differences likely related to the imaging task and spatial-frequency characteristics of the noise. Observer preference tests offered practical, semiquantitative identification of optimal, task-specific imaging techniques and will provide useful guidance toward clinical implementation of high-performance DE imaging systems.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9 (Canada)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21032808
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Medical Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 34; Journal Issue: 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1118/1.2776239; (c) 2007 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-2405
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; AORTA; BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY; CARCINOMAS; CHEST; EVALUATION; IMAGES; LUNGS; NOISE; OPTIMIZATION; PERFORMANCE; PHANTOMS; RADIATION DOSES; SKELETON

Citation Formats

Williams, D B, Siewerdsen, J H, Tward, D J, Paul, N S, Dhanantwari, A C, Shkumat, N A, Richard, S, Yorkston, J, Van Metter, R, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 2M9, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Department of Medical Imaging, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, and Carestream Health, Inc., Rochester, New York 14650. Optimal kVp selection for dual-energy imaging of the chest: Evaluation by task-specific observer preference tests. United States: N. p., 2007. Web. doi:10.1118/1.2776239.
Williams, D B, Siewerdsen, J H, Tward, D J, Paul, N S, Dhanantwari, A C, Shkumat, N A, Richard, S, Yorkston, J, Van Metter, R, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 2M9, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Department of Medical Imaging, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, & Carestream Health, Inc., Rochester, New York 14650. Optimal kVp selection for dual-energy imaging of the chest: Evaluation by task-specific observer preference tests. United States. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2776239
Williams, D B, Siewerdsen, J H, Tward, D J, Paul, N S, Dhanantwari, A C, Shkumat, N A, Richard, S, Yorkston, J, Van Metter, R, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 2M9, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Department of Medical Imaging, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, and Carestream Health, Inc., Rochester, New York 14650. 2007. "Optimal kVp selection for dual-energy imaging of the chest: Evaluation by task-specific observer preference tests". United States. https://doi.org/10.1118/1.2776239.
@article{osti_21032808,
title = {Optimal kVp selection for dual-energy imaging of the chest: Evaluation by task-specific observer preference tests},
author = {Williams, D B and Siewerdsen, J H and Tward, D J and Paul, N S and Dhanantwari, A C and Shkumat, N A and Richard, S and Yorkston, J and Van Metter, R and Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5G 2M9 and Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9 and Department of Medical Imaging, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9 and Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9 and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9 and Carestream Health, Inc., Rochester, New York 14650},
abstractNote = {Human observer performance tests were conducted to identify optimal imaging techniques in dual-energy (DE) imaging of the chest with respect to a variety of visualization tasks for soft and bony tissue. Specifically, the effect of kVp selection in low- and high-energy projection pairs was investigated. DE images of an anthropomorphic chest phantom formed the basis for observer studies, decomposed from low-energy and high-energy projections in the range 60-90 kVp and 120-150 kVp, respectively, with total dose for the DE image equivalent to that of a single chest radiograph. Five expert radiologists participated in observer preference tests to evaluate differences in image quality among the DE images. For visualization of soft-tissue structures in the lung, the [60/130] kVp pair provided optimal image quality, whereas [60/140] kVp proved optimal for delineation of the descending aorta in the retrocardiac region. Such soft-tissue detectability tasks exhibited a strong dependence on the low-kVp selection (with 60 kVp providing maximum soft-tissue conspicuity) and a weaker dependence on the high-kVp selection (typically highest at 130-140 kVp). Qualitative examination of DE bone-only images suggests optimal bony visualization at a similar technique, viz., [60/140] kVp. Observer preference was largely consistent with quantitative analysis of contrast, noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio, with subtle differences likely related to the imaging task and spatial-frequency characteristics of the noise. Observer preference tests offered practical, semiquantitative identification of optimal, task-specific imaging techniques and will provide useful guidance toward clinical implementation of high-performance DE imaging systems.},
doi = {10.1118/1.2776239},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21032808}, journal = {Medical Physics},
issn = {0094-2405},
number = 10,
volume = 34,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007},
month = {Mon Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007}
}