Radioprotection of eye lens using protective material in neuro cone-beam computed tomography: Estimation of dose reduction rate and image quality

PurposeIn cerebral angiography, for diagnosis and interventional neuroradiology, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan is frequently performed for evaluating brain parenchyma, cerebral hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction. However, the patient’s eye lens is more frequently exposed to excessive doses in these scans than in the previous angiography and interventional neuroradiology (INR) procedures. Hence, radioprotection for the lenses is needed. This study selects the most suitable eye lens protection material for CBCT from among nine materials by evaluating the dose reduction rate and image quality.MethodsTo determine the dose reduction rate, the lens doses were measured using an anthropomorphic head phantom and a real-time dosimeter. For image quality assessment, the artifact index was calculated based on the pixel value and image noise within various regions of interest in a water phantom.ResultsThe protective materials exhibited dose reduction; however, streak artifacts were observed near the materials. The dose reduction rate and the degree of the artifact varied significantly depending on the protective material. The dose reduction rates were 14.6%, 14.2%, and 26.0% when bismuth shield: normal (bismuth shield in the shape of an eye mask), bismuth shield: separate (two separate bismuth shields), and lead goggles were used, respectively. The “separate” bismuth shield was found to be effective in dose reduction without lowering the image quality.ConclusionWe found that bismuth shields and lead goggles are suitable protective devices for the optimal reduction of lens doses.     

成人骨性Ⅱ类不同垂直骨面型上气道及舌骨形态位置的三维研究

目的:研究成人骨性II类不同垂直骨面型上气道与舌骨形态及位置的差异。方法:随机选择60名成人骨性II类患者,男女比例1:1,依据GoGn-SN角分为三组(高角组、均角组及低角组),在自然头位下拍摄CBCT,运用MIMICS软件对上呼吸道及舌骨进行三维建模并测量21项相关指标,分析不同垂直骨面型之间上气道各段之间及舌骨形态、位置的差异。结果:不同垂直骨面型之间鄂咽上界平面矢状径长度(PNSL)存在显著性差异(P0.05),上气道各段高度(UTH、ETH)及宽度(PNSW、UTW、ETW)之间比较无统计学差异(P0.05)。高角组上气道鄂咽下界及舌咽下界矢状径长度(UTL、ETL)与均角和低角组均存在显著差异(P0.01),随着垂直骨面型增大,呈现高角均角低角的趋势。高角组上气道鄂咽及舌咽体积明显小于均角和低角,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。舌骨形态及位置在不同垂直骨面型之间无差异(P0.05)。结论:不同垂直向生长方式对上气道产生影响较大,而对舌骨的生长发育无影响。     

锥形束CT测量上颌第一磨牙根分叉形态的临床研究

目的:评价锥形束CT(cone beam computed tomography,CBCT)对于上颌第一磨牙根分叉形态的评估价值。方法:选取14例被诊断为广泛性重度慢性牙周炎的患者,给予规范化牙周基础治疗,在再评估阶段,选取由于牙周袋探针深度6 mm或者有根分叉病变需要进一步手术治疗的患牙,利用CBCT行术前影像学检测并评估根分叉形态和病变程度。共计20颗上颌第一磨牙被纳入研究,比较术中所见根分叉形态与CBCT影像学测量结果。结果:总的CBCT检查与术中结果所得根分叉病变分度完全一致率为80%,两种方法检测的根分叉结果一致性在颊侧最高,之后依次为远中腭部、近中腭部。CBCT测得的根分叉区垂直骨缺损[(4.29±1.67)mm]与术中直接测量值[(4.67±1.77)mm]差异无统计学意义(p0.05);此外,CBCT测得的骨嵴顶水平根分叉开口宽度为[(4.69±2.48)mm],术中探查为[(5.02±2.34)mm],两者比较差异无统计学意义(p0.05);两者测得的根分叉角度差异亦无统计学意义(p0.05),CBCT为35.9±10.4,术中为37.4±9.5。而根分叉水平骨吸收[(2.31±1.12)mm]与术中测量值[(2.67±1.14)mm],但差异的平均值为0.36 mm。结论:CBCT影像在临床诊断评估根分叉病变的分型和牙周组织的丧失有很高的准确性。     

Accuracy of dose calculation on iterative CBCT for head and neck radiotherapy

PurposeTo evaluate the feasibility of the use of iterative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for dose calculation in the head and neck region.MethodsThis study includes phantom and clinical studies. All acquired CBCT images were reconstructed with Feldkamp–Davis–Kress algorithm-based CBCT (FDK-CBCT) and iterative CBCT (iCBCT) algorithm. The Hounsfield unit (HU) consistency between the head and body phantoms was determined in both reconstruction techniques. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were generated for 16 head and neck patients on a planning CT scan, and the doses were recalculated on FDK-CBCT and iCBCT with Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm (AAA) and Acuros XB (AXB). As a comparison of the accuracy of dose calculations, the absolute dosimetric difference and 1%/1 mm gamma passing rate analysis were analyzed.ResultsThe difference in the mean HU values between the head and body phantoms was larger for FDK-CBCT (max value: 449.1 HU) than iCBCT (260.0 HU). The median dosimetric difference from the planning CT were <1.0% for both FDK-CBCT and iCBCT but smaller differences were found with iCBCT (planning target volume D_50%: 0.38% (0.15–0.59%) for FDK-CBCT, 0.28% (0.13–0.49%) for iCBCT, AAA; 0.14% (0.04–0.19%) for FDK-CBCT, 0.07% (0.02–0.20%) for iCBCT). The mean gamma passing rate was significantly better in iCBCT than FDK-CBCT (AAA: 98.7% for FDK-CBCT, 99.4% for iCBCT; AXB: 96.8% for FDK_CBCT, 97.5% for iCBCT).ConclusionThe iCBCT-based dose calculation in VMAT for head and neck cancer was accurate compared to FDK-CBCT.     

成人骨性Ⅱ类上气道与颅颌面关系初探

目的:比较骨性Ⅱ类不同垂直骨面型成人上气道鼻咽、腭咽、舌咽大小的差异,并探讨其与颅面部骨骼形态的关系.方法:将64名(男34例,女30例)成人骨性Ⅱ类错患者按GoGn-SN角大小分为高角、均角、低角三组.分别行颅面部锥体束计算机断层扫描(CBCT),对各段的矢状径、横径、长度、截面积以及容积等指标进行测量分析,比较三组间的差异.同时,对上气道各测量项目与颅颌面结构指标进行相关性分析.结果:在上气道各线性测量项目中,鼻咽和腭咽长度(Ln、Lp)随着垂直骨面型增大而逐渐减小,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).高角组舌咽段的高度(Hg)与均角、低角组存在差异,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),均角组和低角组间并无统计学差异(P＞0.05).上气道各段宽度在不同垂直骨面型之间均无统计学差异.不同垂直骨面型上气道总体积(Vt)无明显差异.高角组舌咽段体积(Vg)及鼻咽段横截面积(CSAn)与均角、低角组存在差异,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),均角组和低角组间并无统计学差异(P＞0.05).而其余测量项目在各垂直骨面型间均未发现统计学差异.由相关性分析可知,舌咽和腭咽的体积与横截面积与上下颌骨垂直向不调指数(ODI)正相关,而腭咽体积和横截面积与下颌平面角负相关.结论:随着垂直骨面型增大上气道结构存在着差异,且主要影响腭咽段和舌咽段,对鼻咽段影响较小.     

Machine log file-based dose verification using novel iterative CBCT reconstruction algorithm in commercial software during volumetric modulated arc therapy for prostate cancer patients

PurposeTo evaluate the utility of the use of iterative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for machine log file-based dose verification during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for prostate cancer patients.MethodsAll CBCT acquisition data were used to reconstruct images with the Feldkamp-Davis-Kress algorithm (FDK-CBCT) and the novel iterative algorithm (iCBCT). The Hounsfield unit (HU)-electron density curves for CBCT images were created using the Advanced Electron Density Phantom. The I’mRT and anthropomorphic phantoms were irradiated with VMAT after CBCT registration. Subsequently, fourteen prostate cancer patients received VMAT after CBCT registration. Machine log files and both CBCT images were exported to the PerFRACTION software, and a 3D patient dose was reconstructed. Mean dose for planning target volume (PTV), the bladder, and rectum and the 3D gamma analysis were evaluated.ResultsFor the phantom studies, the variation of HU values was observed at the central position surrounding the bones in FDK-CBCT. There were almost no changes in the difference of doses at the isocenter between measurement and reconstructed dose for planning CT (pCT), FDK-CBCT, and iCBCT. Mean dose differences of PTV, rectum, and bladder between iCBCT and pCT were approximately 2% lower than those between FDK-CBCT and pCT. For the clinical study, average gamma analysis for 2%/2 mm was 98.22% ± 1.07 and 98.81% ± 1.25% in FDK-CBCT and iCBCT, respectively.ConclusionsA similar machine log file-based dose verification accuracy is obtained for FDK-CBCT and iCBCT during VMAT for prostate cancer patients.     

Enhancement of Hounsfield unit distribution in cone-beam CT images for adaptive radiation therapy: Evaluation of a hybrid correction approach

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the accuracy of a hybrid approach combining the histogram matching (HM) and the multilevel threshold (MLT) to correct the Hounsfield Unit (HU) distribution in cone-beam CT (CBCT) images.Methods and MaterialsCBCT images acquired for ten prostate cancer patients were processed by matching their histograms to those of deformed planning CT (pCT) images obtained after applying a deformable registration (DR) process. Then, HU values corresponding to five tissue types in the pCT were assigned to the obtained CBCT images (CBCT_HM-MLT). Finally, the CBCT_HM-MLT images were compared to the deformed pCT visually and using different statistical metrics.ResultsThe visual assessment and the profiles comparison showed that the high discrepancies in the CBCT images were significantly reduced when using the proposed approach. Furthermore, the correlation values indicated that the CBCT_HM-MLT were in good agreement with the deformed pCT with correlation values ranging from 0.9893 to 0.9962. In addition, the root mean squared error (RMSE) over the entire volume was reduced from 64.15 ± 9.50 to 51.20 ± 6.76 HU. Similarly, the mean absolute error in specific tissue classes was significantly reduced especially in the soft tissue-air interfaces. These results confirmed that applying MLT after HM worked better than using only HM for which the correlation values were ranging from 0.9878 to 0.9955 and the RMSE was 55.95 ± 10.43 HU.ConclusionEvaluation of the proposed approach showed that the HM + MLT correction can improve the HU distribution in the CBCT images and generate corrected images in good agreement with the pCT.     

Enhancement of soft-tissue contrast in cone-beam CT using an anti-scatter grid with a sparse sampling approach

PurposeAnti-scatter grids suppress the scatter substantially thus improving image contrast in radiography. However, its active use in cone-beam CT for the purpose of improving contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) has not been successful mainly due to the increased noise related to Poisson statistics of photons. This paper proposes a sparse-view scanning approach to address the above issue.MethodCompared to the conventional cone-beam CT imaging framework, the proposed method reduces the number of projections and increases exposure in each projection to enhance image quality without an additional cost of radiation dose to patients. For image reconstruction from sparse-view data, an adaptive-steepest-descent projection-onto-convex-sets (ASD POCS) algorithm regularized by total-variation (TV) minimization was adopted. Contrast and CNR with various scattering conditions were evaluated in projection domain by a simulation study using GATE. Then we evaluated contrast, resolution, and image uniformity in CT image domain with Catphan phantom. A head phantom with soft-tissue structures was also employed for demonstrating a realistic application. A virtual grid-based estimation and reduction of scatter has also been implemented for comparison with the real anti-scatter grid.ResultsIn the projection domain evaluation, contrast and CNR enhancement was observed when using an anti-scatter grid compared to the virtual grid. In the CT image domain, the proposed method produced substantially higher contrast and CNR of the low-contrast structures with much improved image uniformity.ConclusionWe have shown that the proposed method can provide high-quality CBCT images particularly with an increased contrast of soft-tissue at a neutral dose for image-guidance.     

Two examples of indication specific radiation dose calculations in dental CBCT and Multidetector CT scanners

PurposeTo calculate organ doses and estimate the effective dose for justification purposes in patients undergoing orthognathic treatment planning purposes and temporal bone imaging in dental cone beam CT (CBCT) and Multidetector CT (MDCT) scanners.MethodsThe radiation dose to the ICRP reference male voxel phantom was calculated for dedicated orthognathic treatment planning acquisitions via Monte Carlo simulations in two dental CBCT scanners, Promax 3D Max (Planmeca, FI) and NewTom VGi evo (QR s.r.l, IT) and in Somatom Definition Flash (Siemens, DE) MDCT scanner. For temporal bone imaging, radiation doses were calculated via MC simulations for a CBCT protocol in NewTom 5G (QR s.r.l, IT) and with the use of a software tool (CT-expo) for Somatom Force (Siemens, DE). All procedures had been optimized at the acceptance tests of the devices.ResultsFor orthognathic protocols, dental CBCT scanners deliver lower doses compared to MDCT scanners. The estimated effective dose (ED) was 0.32 mSv for a normal resolution operation mode in Promax 3D Max, 0.27 mSv in VGi-evo and 1.18 mSv in the Somatom Definition Flash. For temporal bone protocols, the Somatom Force resulted in an estimated ED of 0.28 mSv while for NewTom 5G the ED was 0.31 and 0.22 mSv for monolateral and bilateral imaging respectively.ConclusionsTwo clinical exams which are carried out with both a CBCT or a MDCT scanner were compared in terms of radiation dose. Dental CBCT scanners deliver lower doses for orthognathic patients whereas for temporal bone procedures the doses were similar.     

A patient-centric approach to quality control and dosimetry in CT including CBCT

One measurement and an algebraic formula are used to calculate the incident air kerma (K_a,i) at the skin after any CT examination, including cone-beam CT (CBCT) and multi-slice CT (MSCT).Empty scans were performed with X-ray CBCT systems (dental, C-arm and linac guidance scanners) as well as two MSCT scanners. The accumulated K_a,i at the flat panel (in CBCT) or the maximum incident air kerma at the isocentre (in MSCT) were measured using a solid-state probe. The average K_a,i(skin), at the skin of a hypothetical patient, was calculated using the proposed formula. Additional measurements of dose at the isocentre (D_FOV) and kerma-area product (KAP), as well as K_a,i(skin) from thermoluminiscence dosimeters (TLDs) and size-specific dose estimates are presented for comparison.The K_a,i(skin) for the standard head size in the dental scanner, the C-arm (high dose head protocol) and the linac (head protocol) were respectively 3.33 ± 0.19 mGy, 15.15 ± 0.76 mGy and 3.23 ± 0.16 mGy. For the first MSCT, the calculated K_a,i(skin) was 13.1 ± 0.7 mGy and the TLDs provided a K_a,i(skin) between 10.3 ± 1.1 mGy and 13.8 ± 1.4 mGy.Estimation of patient air kerma in tomography with an uncertainty below 7% is thus feasible using an empty scan and conventional measurement tools. The provided equations and website can be applied to a standard size for the sake of quality control or to several sizes for the definition of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). The obtained incident air kerma can be directly compared to the K_a,i from other X-ray modalities as recommended by ICRU and IAEA.