DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY HIGH RESOLUTION FLAT PANEL IMAGER

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：这是一个生物工程 马萨诸塞大学医学院和洛克希德马丁公司之间的研究合作伙伴关系 Corporation.它旨在开发和评估一种新的高分辨率 具有可变像素大小（40微米和80微米）的平板乳房X线摄影成像器 微米），使用平铺电荷耦合器件（CCD）。探测器将覆盖一个 区域基本上与常规乳房X线摄影的敏感区域相同 盒式磁带。具体的假设是：（a）新的成像仪将表现出更好的 探测量子效率（DQE）比目前的屏幕电影技术。（B） 与目前的屏幕电影，该系统将表现出更高的动态范围。（c）第（1）款 空间分辨率将高于目前的平板成像系统 由于较小的像素尺寸和100%的填充因子。(d)对比度 将大大优于现有的屏幕电影系统， 在降低辐射剂量的情况下， 患者由于DQE改善。(e)设计良好的乳腺X线摄影系统 将取代屏幕-胶片系统， 全乳房乳房X光成像。初步计算和实验 研究表明，这种类型的CCD平板探测器是可行的。的 实验计划要求全面评估的特点， 系统的检测和评价虽然客观和普遍 可接受的度量，例如空间相关的调制传递函数 的DQE。申请人报告了100微米像素GE临床 在筛选人群中的评价原型，这似乎表明， 对于具有类似灵敏度的癌症检测，这是等效的。但有 关注更微妙形式的钙化，如点状和 性无定形当看到钙时，边缘锐度似乎不具有 与点胶片视图的清晰度相同。这些问题可能与 检测器的相对大的像素尺寸（100微米）。申请人 建议开发和评估下一代高分辨率数字 具有高空间分辨率并且没有有害损失的乳房X射线摄影， 信噪比，这是常见的老一代， 使用缩小光纤。所提出的原型使用一个数组， 无缝拼接CCD耦合到结构化CsI：TI闪烁体， 非锥形光纤板将提供比任何 其他平板乳腺摄影探测器。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from Applicant's Abstract): This is a Bioengineering Research Partnership between UMass Medical School and Lockheed-Martin Corporation. It is aimed at developing and evaluating a new high resolution flat panel mammographic imager with a variable pixel size (40 microns and 80 microns) using tiled charged-coupled devices (CCD). The detector will cover an area essentially the same as the sensitive area of a conventional mammographic cassette. The specific hypotheses are: (a) the new imager will exhibit better detective quantum efficiency (DQE) than current screen-film technology. (b) Unlike current screen-film, the system will exhibit higher dynamic range. (c) The spatial resolution will be higher than current flat-panel imaging systems due to the smaller pixel size and 100 percent fill factor. (d) The contrast will be significantly better than existing screen-film systems resulting in better visualization of breast anatomy at a reduced radiation dose to the patient due to the improved DQE. (e) A well-designed mammographic system driven in an optimized acquisition mode will replace screen-film systems for full-breast mammographic imaging. Preliminary computational and experimental studies suggest that a CCD flat panel detector of this type is feasible. The experimental plan calls for comprehensive evaluation of the characteristics of the detector and evaluation of the system though objective and universally accepted metrics such as the spatially dependent modulation transfer function and DQE. The applicants report experience with the 100 micron pixel GE clinical evaluation prototype in a screening population, which appears to demonstrate equivalency for cancer detection with similar sensitivities. However, there are concerns about of the more subtle forms of calcifications such as punctate and amorphous. When calcium is seen the edge sharpness does not appear to have the same sharpness as that of spot film views. These problems may be related to the relatively large pixel size (100 microns) of the detector. The applicants propose to develop and evaluate the next generation of high resolution digital mammography with high spatial resolution and without the detrimental loss in the signal-to-noise ratio, which is common with the older generation, which uses demagnifying fiberoptics. The proposed prototype using an array of seamlessly tiled CCDs coupled to a structured CsI:TI scintillator by a non-tapering fiberoptic plate will deliver the highest resolution than any other flat panel mammographic detector.