3D Digital Breast Phantoms For Multimodality Research

描述（由申请人提供）：乳房成像是一个重要的研究领域，许多新技术正在研究中，通过早期发现进一步降低乳腺癌的发病率和死亡率。计算机化的图像可以为定量比较新的成像系统和技术提供必要的工具。目前用于乳房成像研究的模型在描绘乳房复杂的三维解剖结构时缺乏足够的真实感。此外，它们通常局限于单一应用，典型的是乳房x线照相术，并且不具有应用于其他新兴模式（如断层合成或CT）的灵活性。基于nurbs的四维心躯干模型（NCAT）提供了一种真实、灵活的人体解剖和生理模型，在影像学研究中得到了广泛的应用。以前仅限于男性解剖，NCAT最近扩展到包括男性和女性受试者的详细全身解剖。尽管取得了这些进步，但目前的一个限制是，女性乳房模型只使用一个简单的外表面，没有包括任何解剖细节。因此，NCAT在乳房成像研究中的应用受到严重限制，而它可能会产生深远的影响。这项工作的目标是创建一系列详细的3D计算乳房幻象，能够真实地模拟健康和疾病的广泛解剖变化，并具有灵活性，可以模拟乳房的不同压缩状态，用于各种成像模式，并将它们无缝地纳入4D NCAT幻象中，用于乳房成像研究。加州大学戴维斯分校是世界上仅有的拥有100多个高分辨率乳腺CT数据集的实验室之一，这些数据集包括正常受试者和患有疾病的受试者。基于这些独特的数据，将使用最先进的计算机图形技术来构建幽灵的正常背景解剖结构。通过对异常3D成像数据的分析，将开发建模技术来模拟一系列典型的乳腺癌异常（微钙化和肿块）。将开发和验证有限元方法来模拟乳房的不同压缩状态，使模型适用于各种成像模式。这项工作将为定量评价和比较现有的和新兴的乳房成像设备和技术提供必要的基础。与目前简化的乳房模型不同，所提出的模型能够模拟真实的、预测性的患者成像数据，这些数据来自不同解剖结构的受试者，使用不同的获取方法，将提供更完整的成像技术评估，不仅仅是在简化的物理特征方面，而且在临床相关表现方面。因此，这些幻影将为乳腺成像研究提供一个独特而重要的工具。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Breast imaging is an important area of research with many new techniques being investigated to further reduce the morbidity and mortality of breast cancer through early detection. Computerized phantoms can provide an essential tool to quantitatively compare new imaging systems and techniques. Current phantoms used in breast imaging research lack sufficient realism in depicting the complex three-dimensional (3D) anatomy of the breast. Also, they are frequently limited to a single application, typically mammography, and do not have the flexibility to be applied to other emerging modalities such as tomosynthesis or CT. The four-dimensional (4D) NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) phantom, which provides a realistic and flexible model of the human anatomy and physiology, is widely used in imaging research. Previously limited to only a male anatomy, the NCAT was recently extended to include a detailed, whole-body anatomy for both a male and female subject. Despite this advancement, a current limitation to the phantom is that the female breast is modeled using only a simple outer surface and does not include any anatomical detail. As a result, the NCAT is severely limited in its application to breast imaging research where it may have a profound impact. The goal of this work is to create a series of detailed 3D computational breast phantoms capable of realistically simulating a wide range of anatomical variations in health and disease and with the flexibility to model different compression states of the breast for various imaging modalities and to incorporate them seamlessly into the 4D NCAT phantom for breast imaging research. UC Davis has one of the only laboratories in the world which has acquired over a hundred high-resolution breast CT datasets of normal subjects as well those with disease. The normal background anatomy of the phantoms will be constructed using state-of-the-art computer graphics techniques based on this unique data. Through an analysis of abnormal 3D imaging data, modeling techniques will be developed to simulate a range of typical abnormalities (microcalcifications and masses) indicative of breast cancer. Finite element methods will be developed and validated to simulate different compression states of the breast, enabling the phantoms to be applicable to various imaging modalities. This work will provide the necessary foundation to quantitatively evaluate and compare existing and emerging breast imaging devices and techniques. Unlike current, simplified breast models, the proposed phantoms, with the ability to simulate realistic, predictive patient imaging data from anatomically diverse subjects using different acquisition methods, would provide a more complete assessment of imaging techniques, not just in terms of simplified physical characteristics, but in terms of clinically relevant performance. As such, the phantoms will provide a unique and vital tool for breast imaging research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The goal of this work is to create a series of detailed 3D computational breast phantoms with the flexibility to simulate a wide range of anatomical variations (normal and abnormal) and different levels of compression and to incorporate them seamlessly into the 4D NCAT phantom for multimodality breast imaging research.