Clinical Translation of a One-Stop-Shop Imaging Method for Abdominal CT

摘要 CT成像是现代放射科使用的主要诊断工具之一，其重要性 对现代医学的贡献怎么强调都不为过。近年来，频谱CT技术已经发展到 解决与传统单千伏CT成像相关的长期技术限制之一： 对于给定的采集，具有不同材料成分的解剖结构可能具有相同的CT编号。 目前的光谱CT成像系统已经使用先进的X射线源和/或探测器来实现 能够使用两种不同的X射线光谱快速扫描图像对象的技术。然而，这些 基于硬件的频谱CT系统并不是没有其固有的局限性。此类限制包括 视场缩小、扫描速度变慢、高千伏和低千伏测量之间的配准错误 双电源系统，许多快速千伏开关系统缺乏管电流调制，并具有其他 临床工作流程/效率挑战。在这个应用程序中，我们建议实现并翻译一个新的单- 用于腹部CT应用的千伏频谱CT成像方法，克服了与 目前的光谱CT成像方法。采用这种新方法，所有传统的对比度增强的单千伏 腹部CT检查可以用来生成具有所需光谱CT的豪华系列CT图像 功能包括虚拟无对比CT图像、虚拟单能量CT图像和量化 物质基础图像(即一站式商店)。这一新方法使集成的临床工作流程得以改进 临床诊断准确性，同时减少对患者的辐射剂量和对比剂剂量，同时降低 整体医疗成本。为实现这一总体目标，将实现三个具体目标 项目：1)实施和优化技术，实现一站式单千伏频谱CT成像 腹部应用；2)验证所提出的一站式单千伏频谱CT成像方法 基于硬件的频谱CT成像方法；3)一站式单千伏频谱CT的翻译 以影像学方法对临床环境进行临床绩效评估。在完成这项工作后 该项目将实施独特的一站式CT成像范例，并将其转化为临床应用 腹部CT检查，实现一站式腹部CT诊断，仅需单千伏对比度增强 CT扫描。这项新技术可用于所有类型的成像设施，包括社区 发展中国家的医院或诊所，这与硬件双能量CT和光子形成鲜明对比 计算CT成像，传统上保留给备受瞩目的学术医疗中心，这些中心可以 负担得起最新的技术平台。

ABSTRACT CT imaging is one of the primary diagnostic tools utilized in modern radiology departments, and its importance to modern medicine cannot be overstated. In recent years, spectral CT technologies have been developed to address one of the long-standing technical limitations associated with conventional single-kV CT imaging: anatomical structures with different material compositions may have the same CT number for a given acquisition. Current spectral CT imaging systems have been implemented using advanced x-ray source and/or detector technologies that enable image objects to be rapidly scanned using two distinct x-ray spectra. However, these hardware-based spectral CT systems are not without their own intrinsic limitations. Such limitations include a reduced field-of-view, slower scan speeds, misregistration between the high kV and low kV measurements in dual source systems, lack of tube current modulation for many fast kV-switching systems, and having other clinical workflow/efficiency challenges. In this application, we propose to implement and translate a novel single- kV spectral CT imaging method for abdominal CT applications that overcomes the limitations associated with current spectral CT imaging methods. With this new method, all conventional contrast-enhanced single-kV abdominal CT exams can be used to generate a deluxe series of CT images with the desired spectral CT functionalities including virtual non-contrast CT images, virtual mono-energetic CT images, and quantitative material basis images (i.e., one-stop-shop). This new method enables an integrated clinical workflow to improve clinical diagnostic accuracy while reducing both radiation dose and contrast dose to patients, all while reducing overall healthcare costs. Three specific aims will be carried out to accomplish the overarching objective of this project: 1) Implement and optimize techniques to achieve one-stop-shop single-kV spectral CT imaging for abdominal applications; 2) Validate the proposed one-stop-shop single-kV spectral CT imaging method using the hardware based spectral CT imaging methods; and 3) translate the one-stop-shop single-kV spectral CT imaging method to the clinical environment for clinical performance evaluations. Upon the completion of this project, a unique one-stop-shop CT imaging paradigm will have been implemented and translated to clinical abdominal CT exams to enable one-stop-shop abdominal CT diagnoses with just a single-kV contrast-enhanced CT acquisition. This new technique can be made available to all types of imaging facilities including community hospitals or clinics in developing nations, which is in stark contrast to hardware dual-energy CT and photon counting CT imaging which has been traditionally reserved to high profile academic medical centers that can afford the latest technological platforms.