Low Dose Rapid Scanning Slit Digital Mammography and Breast Tomosynthesis

描述(申请人提供)：这项名为“低剂量快速扫描狭缝数字乳房X光摄影和乳房断层成像”的快速通道赠款将使我们能够向市场推出一种临床驱动的改进的乳房成像方法，该方法基于具有能量歧视的光子计数X射线探测器阵列。该探测器将显著改进x射线乳房成像，例如减少患者剂量，同时保持出色的图像质量、增强的组织对比度、材料分解能力(组织类型识别)和定量碘对比成像。总体目标是向市场推出一种用于人体乳房成像的具有能量分辨功能的光子计数能量色散X射线探测器。到目前为止，我们已经展示了第一代快速光子计数X射线成像阵列原型，它具有比所有其他阵列更高的最大输出计数率(超过一个数量级)，并已用于生成初步数据。我们的技术能够以每100�m像素超过1�106cps(Cps)的速度计数，即1�108cps/mm2，是迄今为止用X射线测量的最高输出计数率(Ocr)。我们的X射线成像阵列是完全垂直集成的，可以平铺到大视场。我们利用这项技术开发了多个堆叠的一维高通量能量分辨单光子计数探测器阵列的扫描狭缝乳腺成像。对于扫描缝隙数字乳房摄影术(DM)，与目前可用的系统相比，我们具有能量信息的优势。然而，对于扫描缝隙数字乳房断层合成(DBT)，除了能量信息外，我们还会有来自多缝扫描的散射抑制。在扫描狭缝模式下构建能够同时支持DM和DBT的系统提供了在一个系统上从DBT数据实现DM、DBT和合成DM的机会。将使用龙门式设计来扫描整个视野中的探测器狭缝，始终靠近并平行于压缩的乳房，并且始终指向DM(管在0�)和DBT(管在�25�之间的任何位置)的焦点，以便投影图像的几何形状与目前在平板DM和BDT中使用的相同。高OCR允许使用坚固的50 mA X射线管来产生更短的扫描时间。提出的基于光子计数x射线探测器的乳腺成像不仅将改善目前基于衰减的灰度图像的质量，而且将利用组织类型特定x射线图像的能力，为全新的应用、新的程序和新的协议打开大门。我们希望这种产品能取得巨大的商业成功。这是由于我们的技术对现有检测器的重大改进和优势，以及乳房成像的广泛和日益广泛的使用。随着检查次数的增加，乳腺癌筛查中的X射线暴露一直是放射科医生和物理学家主要关注的问题。因此，减少筛查检查中患者剂量的方法将对公众健康产生重大影响。我们的产品满足了减少乳房成像剂量的需要。同时，为了更好地诊断，需要改进组织分化和对比剂特异性识别。我们的产品通过利用单独计数的高通量X射线中包含的能量信息来满足这些需求，这些信息是目前乳房成像系统中使用的非光子计数X射线成像阵列无法获得的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This fast track grant titled, "Low Dose Rapid Scanning Slit Digital Mammography and Breast Tomosynthesis" will enable us to bring to market a clinically driven improved method of breast imaging based on photon-counting x-ray detector arrays with energy discrimination. The detectors will enabled significant improvements in x-ray breast imaging such as reduced patient dose while maintaining excellent image quality, enhanced tissue contrast, material decomposition capabilities (tissue type identification), and quantitative iodine contrast imaging. The overall goal is to bring to the marketplace a photon-counting energy-dispersive x-ray detector with energy discrimination for use in human breast imaging. So far we have demonstrated a first generation fast photon-counting x-ray imaging array prototype which has a higher maximum output count rate (by more than an order of magnitude) than all others, and the array has been used to generate the preliminary data. Our technology is capable of counting at over 1 � 106 counts per second (cps) per 100 �m pixel which is 1 � 108 cps/mm2 and is the highest output count rate (OCR) measured to date with x-rays to our knowledge. Our x-ray imaging arrays are completely vertically integrated and can be tiled to large field of view. We use this technology to develop scanning slit breast imaging with multiple stacked 1D high flux energy resolved single photon counting detector arrays. For scanning slit digital mammography (DM) we have the advantage of energy information as compared to the currently available systems. Whereas for scanning slit digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) we would have, in addition to energy information, scatter rejection from the multi-slit scanning. Building a system capable of both DM and DBT in a scanning slit mode offers the chance to achieve DM, DBT, and synthetic DM from DBT data all on one system. A gantry design will be used to sweep the detector slits across the FOV always close to and parallel to the compressed breast and always pointing to the focal spot for both DM (tube at 0�) and DBT (tube anywhere between �25�) so that the geometry of the projection images is the same as currently used in flat panel DM and BDT. The high OCR allows the use of a strong 50 mA x-ray tube to produce shorter scan times. The proposed photon counting x-ray detector based breast imaging will not only improve the quality of the current attenuation-based gray-scale images, but also open a door to completely new applications, new procedures, and new protocols, using the capabilities of tissue-type specific x-ray images. We expect large commercial success with this product. This is due to the significant improvements to and advantages over existing detectors that our technology provides together with the widespread and increasing use of breast imaging. The x-ray exposure in breast cancer screening has been of major concern for radiologists and physicists as the number of examinations has increased. Therefore, a method which reduces the patient dose in screening examinations will have a significant impact on public health. Our product addresses the need to reduce dose in breast imaging. At the same time, improved tissue differentiation and contrast specific identification is needed for better diagnosis. Our product addresses these needs by improving image quality by making use of the energy information contained in the individually counted x-rays at high flux, information that is currently not obtainable with the non photon-counting x-ray imaging arrays currently in use in breast imaging systems.