Methods for optimal design of new detectors for advanced medical-imaging procedures

由于在医疗诊断程序中暴露于X射线会带来健康风险，因此设计X射线探测器以产生尽可能最佳的图像，同时将患者暴露在可接受的最低水平的辐射中，这一点至关重要。探测器上的图像质量和X射线曝光之间的这种平衡由探测器的“探测量子效率”(DQE)来描述，这在计算机断层扫描(CT)成像中尤其重要，CT成像目前负责北美一半的诊断性医疗照射。新一代探测器目前正在开发中，它可以测量X射线光子的能量，用于包括CT在内的先进成像程序。虽然这些系统的设计必须确保患者的低剂量，但开发最佳设计所需的工具是原始的，不足以完成这项任务。因此，我们认为，目前正在开发的一些探测器成功的可能性很小，而另一些探测器则没有被开发出来，以充分挖掘这些先进应用的潜力。

Due to the health risks associated with exposure to x rays in medical diagnostic procedures, it is essential that x-ray detectors be designed to produce the best possible images while exposing the patient to the lowest acceptable levels of radiation. This balance between image quality and x-ray exposure on the detector is described by the "detective quantum efficiency" (DQE) of the detector and is particularly important in computed tomography (CT) imaging which is now responsible for half of all diagnostic medical exposures in North America. A new generation of detectors is currently under development that can measure the energy of x-ray photons for use in advanced imaging procedures including CT. While it is essential that these systems be designed to ensure low dose to patients, the tools required to develop optimal designs are primitive and inadequate for the task. As a consequence, we believe some detectors currently under have little chance of success, while others are not being developed to exploit the full potential of these advanced applications.