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Original Research |
1 All authors: Department of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, 1959 NE Pacific St., Box 357115, Seattle, WA 98195-7115.
Received November 17, 2006;
accepted after revision February 5, 2007.
Address correspondence to K. M. Kanal
(kkanal{at}u.washington.edu).
Abstract
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MATERIALS AND METHODS. We reviewed physics theory and performed phantom dose measurements on a 64-MDCT scanner while altering operator-selectable image noise and reconstruction slice thickness.
RESULTS. Using phantom dose measurements to adjust theoretic predictions, we constructed both a spreadsheet and a graph that visually display the interrelationships between operator-selected image noise and reconstruction slice thickness and the resulting patient dose.
CONCLUSION. This table and graph may help operators understand the trade-offs when prospectively trying to minimize dose and optimize image noise for selected reconstruction slice thicknesses on this type of 64-MDCT scanner.
Keywords: CT imaging CT technique 64-MDCT noise index physics radiation dose
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One answer is to use a parameter indicative of the level of image noise (GE Healthcare, noise index [NI]) as an operator-selected variable. Changing the NI alters the range of mA over which the ATCM varies during gantry rotation to produce a selected level of average image noise. But average image noise is also dependent on the reconstruction slice thicknessfrom the same CT source data, thicker slice reconstructions are less noisy than thinner slice reconstructions. So when a radiologist is faced with trying to achieve either a low-noise examination or a low-dose examination on a scanner with ATCM, there are trade-offs among NI, slice thickness, and radiation dose that are complex and not necessarily intuitive.
We wanted to better understand the theoretic and actual (measured) relationships between NI and radiation dose at a given reconstruction slice thickness, between vendor-defined NI and reconstruction slice thickness at a given radiation dose, and between reconstruction slice thickness and radiation dose at a given NI. Our goal was to create two tools, a spreadsheet and a graphical display, to illustrate these complex interrelationships in a more comprehensible, visual fashion. These tools might be used by both radiologists and technologists to tailor individual CT examinations toward desired dose and image noise on an ATCM scanner. Anatomy-based ATCM was used in this study. ECG-based ATCM was not studied.
Although this investigation was undertaken on a single make and model of 64-MDCT scanner, we postulate that the methodology illustrated could be used to create similar visual graphic tools for other CT scanners.
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Methodology
To create an NI, slice thickness, and dose spreadsheet
(Table 1), we first reviewed
theoretic relationships between NI, reconstruction slice thickness, and
radiation dose and then validated those relationships with empiric measurement
in a phantom scanned on this type of 64-MDCT scanner. Where discrepancies
appeared between theoretic and measured values, we adjusted the theoretic
values systematically based on measured results.
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The horizontal rows of Table 1 are the NI values at the various available reconstruction slice thickness settings that maintain an isodose condition. The vertical columns are the NI values as radiation dose varies at a constant reconstruction slice thickness. Radiation measurements were performed using a standard 3-cm3 CT ionization chamber (10X5-3CT, Radcal Corporation) and a 32-cm-diameter polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) body phantom for standardized volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) [1315] measurement. The CTDIvol was also recorded from the CT scanner console.
NI versus reconstruction slice thickness (Table 1 horizontal row relationship): theoryThe 64-MDCT LightSpeed VCT scanner acquires data using a 0.625-mm detector row width. Reconstructed slices may be thought of as a sandwich of data from multiple 0.625-mm detector rows. Based on uncorrelated noise theory [16], the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in any CT image should increase proportional to the square root of the number of 0.625-mm acquisition rows used to reconstruct the slice (e.g., for a reconstruction slice thickness of 5 mm, 8 x 0.625); the SNR should increase by a factor of approximately the square root of 8 compared with a reconstruction slice thickness of 0.625 mm. Thus, under an isodose condition in which all 0.625-mm acquisition rows receive the same radiation, NI decreases as the inverse square root of the number of 0.625-mm detector rows composing the reconstructed image (in the previous example, the measured noise decreases by a factor of 1 divided by the square root of 8).
NI versus reconstruction slice thickness (Table 1 horizontal row relationship): measurementsWe sought to verify the relationship between NI and reconstruction slice thickness experimentally using the PMMA body phantom. On the 64-MDCT scanner, we acquired images at the longitudinal center of the ionization chamber with the following CT scanning parameters: 120 kVp; auto mA range, 100750; time, 0.8 second; pitch, 1.375; beam collimation, 20 mm; large body scan field of view (SFOV) (large bowtie filter); chamber length, 100 mm; chamber factor,1.0; and exposure to dose conversion factor for PMMA, 0.78. Using the predicted NI, the reconstruction slice thickness was varied and the radiation exposure measured from which CTDIvol was calculated. The console-displayed CTDIvol was also recorded. The combinations of predicted NI and reconstruction slice thickness, which were varied at the console for each radiation dose measurement, were 40.0 at 0.625 mm, 28.3 at 1.25 mm, 20.0 at 2.5 mm, 16.3 at 3.75 mm, and 14.1 at 5 mm. A region of interest (ROI) of approximately 1,400 mm2 was used to record the image noise or SD at the 12-, 3-, 6-, and 9-o'clock positions and the center of the phantom. The center ROI SD reading was much higher than the peripheral readings in the phantom and was omitted when calculating the average image noise. This was due to X-ray beam attenuation because the X-ray beam traveled from the periphery to the center of the phantom, giving rise to a reduction in relative photon fluence and thus an increase in the image noise or SD reading.
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To further validate the predicted NI values, we performed several secondary (postacquisition) image reconstructions of our original acquisition rows (NI = 40, reconstruction at a slice thickness of 0.625) by changing the reconstruction slice thickness from 0.625 mm to 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, and 5 mm. The same technique was used to measure image noise and to calculate average image noise.
NI versus radiation dose (Table 1 vertical column relationship): theoryBased on Poisson statistics [14], the NI is proportional to the inverse square root of the dose. Thus, as NI is decreased to reduce the noise in an image, the radiation dose must increase. It also follows from Poisson statistics that the radiation dose increases by a factor of 10.8% for a decrease in the NI of 5% and decreases by a factor of 9.3% for an increase in the NI of 5% (Appendix 1).
NI versus radiation dose (Table 1 vertical column relationship): measurementsWe verified the Poisson statistics relationship experimentally between NI and radiation dose using the PMMA body phantom to acquire images centered along the ionization chamber with the scanning parameters described previously. Using a reconstruction slice thickness of 0.625 mm, radiation exposure measurements were made at NI = 28.3, 33.8, 40.0, and 50.0. The console-displayed CTDIvol was also recorded for each NI. The same technique described previously was used to measure image noise and to calculate average image noise.
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To validate the scaled predicted NI values, we first reconstructed the original image (NI, 40; reconstruction slice thickness, 0.625 mm) with secondary reconstruction slice thicknesses of 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 mm and then measured the image noise level using an ROI. The measured image noise level was next compared with the predicted NI values for the different reconstruction slice thicknesses by calculating the normalized deviation between predicted NI (at a specified radiation dose and reconstruction slice thickness) and measured NI. The average of the percentage difference between the predicted NI and measured image noise level values was within 0.6% ± 0.7% across all the reconstruction slice thicknesseswhich validated the predicted NI values.
NI Versus Radiation Dose (Table 1 Vertical Column Relationship)
Theoretically, based on Poisson statistics, the radiation dose increases by
a factor of 10.8% with a decrease in the NI of 5% and decreases by a factor of
9.3% with an increase in the NI of 5% (Appendix 1). We verified this
relationship experimentally and found it to hold to within 0.01%
± 0.39% by calculating the normalized difference between the predicted
radiation dose at a specified noise level and the measured radiation dose over
all specified NIs used.
Development of an NI Table
Based on the experimental data discussed, we generated an NI table for the
64-MDCT LightSpeed VCT scanner (Table
1). This table shows the relationship between NI, reconstruction
slice thickness, and relative radiation dose at a fixed pitch. The NI values
for the rows were empirically determined by experiment to maintain an isodose
condition. The NI values for the columns were calculated from the relationship
between NI and radiation dose based on Poisson statistics. For
Table 1, the relative dose of
unity is set for an NI of 40 and 0.625-mm reconstruction slice thickness and
acts as a seed value for all the other NI values in the table. There is no
reason why this value cannot be changed, for example to 30, because all other
NI values in the table would propagate throughout the table based on this
change.
Because the delivered dose is affected by the NI value selected and NI also varies with reconstruction slice thickness, the appropriate selection of NI can have a major impact on delivered dose. The NI table may be used to determine how the dose changes as a function of NI at constant reconstruction slice thickness and vice versa. NI values are read down the columns and matched up for each isodose row with the Relative Dose column and Dose Difference (%) column values to obtain the difference in dose caused by a specific change in NI (Appendix 3).
The NI table does not necessarily make it easy to conceptually understand the trade-offs between the different table variables. For this reason, we reportrayed the data as a graph (Fig. 2A). On the graph, the NI values from the table are plotted on the y-axis and the relative radiation dose values from the table are plotted on the x-axis as a function of the varying reconstruction slice thickness values (plotted curves) ranging from 0.625 to 5 mm.
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As MDCT scanners with ATCM have become available, adjustment of operator-selected noise level in the image has become more important when trying to reach the as-low-as-reasonably-achievable (ALARA) dose. This means that radiologists need to understand how noise level and reconstruction slice thickness are related to radiation dose in an environment of ATCM. This study was designed to better understand these relationships and use this understanding to create a table and a graph that could be used as tools to help deal with the trade-offs involved when selecting among these scanning parameters.
In Table 1, only the relative dose is given. In part, this is because it is easier to discuss the relative merits of various choices of NI using the normalized table. Additionally, relative dose is displayed because the CTDIvol or doselength product (DLP) [1315] may change from examination type to examination type and patient to patient based on body habitus because of the scanning length and the particular bowtie filter used. This variation can be corrected by using the table. Any specific value of CTDIvol or DLP may be placed in the table at the seed dose location. Automatic spreadsheet cell projection within the table will then yield the specific values of CTDIvol or DLP.
We have found the NI graph a more useful tool in understanding the trade-offs among NI, slice thickness, and radiation dose. In addition to assisting radiologists and technologists in selecting scanning parameters, the graph also illustrates that lack of attention to these operator-selectable parameters could result in a substantial increase in delivered dose. For example, how much is the dose increase if NI is decreased from 40 to 30 by the operator at a constant 0.625-mm reconstruction slice thickness? Figure 2B shows the relative dose at NI of 40 and 0.625 mm reconstruction slice thickness is 1.0 (dotted line). At the same reconstruction slice thickness of 0.625 mm but changing the NI to 30, the relative radiation dose is now 1.8 (solid line)an 80% increase in delivered dose.
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APPENDIX 1: Noise Index Versus Radiation Dose
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N
between the SD of the photon count (
) measured, for a specified number
of X-ray photons (N) per unit volume (voxel), which may be thought of
as proportional to the radiation dose (D) deposited within that
voxel. What is actually measured on the CT scanner console in an image
region-of-interest (ROI) leading to assignment of the noise index (NI) is the
relative noise (noise as perceived by a human observer in an image
[14]), which is defined by:
![]() | (1) |
Note: NI is inversely proportional to D; thus, as NI increases, the dose decreases and the image noise increases.
Let a second specified operating point be selected such that the NI is
increased by a certain fraction (
), for example, for a 5% increase (1 +
= 1.05): NI
=1.05x NI. Also,
(
NI / NI), the fractional change in NI, may now
defined as:
![]() | (2) |
above.
The question now is for such a change in NI (
NI),
by how much does the radiation dose change (
D)? We have
NI
=(1+
)x NI, and through
substitution (equation 1):
![]() | (3) |
![]() | (4) |
D is simply:
![]() | (5) |
![]() | (6) |
NI may either be increased (
positive) or decreased (
negative). Any value of
may be used in either equation to calculate the
fractional change in dose: (
D / D) as a function of the fractional
change in NI, that is, (
NI / NI)=
.
Substituting
= 5% in equation
6 shows that a 5% increase in NI decreases the radiation dose by a
factor of 9.3%, and a 5% decrease in NI increases the radiation dose by a
factor of 10.8%, as stated in the article.
APPENDIX 2: Noise Index Versus Reconstruction Slice Thickness
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Taking the relationships:
![]() | (1) |
![]() | (2) |
![]() | (3) |
For the NI table horizontal row relationship, we empirically determined the
NI table row values at isodose using equation
3 in this appendix. So substituting the CTDIvol values
for different NI values used in the first experiment, for example, NI = 28.3
and CTDIvol = 62.4 mGy, NI = 20 and CTDIvol = 60.0 mGy
into this equation and scaling with the initial seed values of NI = 40,
CTDIvol = 43.7 mGy, we get the new scaled values for NI:
![]() | (4) |
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Acknowledgments
We thank Mario Ramos, lead CT technologist in the Department of Radiology
at the University of Washington, and Steve Kohlmeyer from GE Healthcare for
their contributions to this work.
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