Despite new advances in medical imaging, projection radiography continues to be an important tool for detection of pulmonary diseases including lung cancer, interstitial lung diseases, as well as a variety of other thoracic diseases. Conventional chest radiography techniques rely on the use of a screen-film combination as the image receptor. Various digital radiography techniques have been developed and investigated to improve the quality, display, processing, utilization and management of radiographic images. Among them, computed radiography (CR) has become a promising candidate for large scale implementation of digital radiography and integration with a Picture Archival and Communication System (PACS) and has found wide use in bedside chest imaging in intensive care units (ICUs). However, current CR systems, due to its single screen design, have intrinsically lower detection quantum efficiency (DQE) and spatial resolution than the conventional screen film techniques. Partially for these reasons, they have not replaced screen-film techniques in chest radiography for primary diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. In this project, the applicants proposed to use a high resolution (HR) screen and a standard resolution (ST) screen to simultaneously acquire a high resolution front image and a standard resolution, low noise back image. These two images are superimposed to construct an image of improved DQE and spatial resolution. This technique referred to as the asymmetric dual-screen CR technique, will be optimized and tested using an experimental CR imaging system. Image properties of the optimized dual-screen CR images will be characterized by measuring the signal response, MTF, and noise properties. A comprehensive patient study will be conducted to evaluate and compare the duel-screen CR techniques with the single-screen CR and conventional screen-film techniques. Success of this project could result in a CR technique with a spatial resolution and DQE comparable to or even superior than those of the conventional screen-film techniques. The asymmetric dual-screen CR technique should help upgrade the quality of CR chest images substantially and lead to improved accuracy for primary diagnosis of pulmonary diseases.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA051248-12
Application #
6164063
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG7-DMG (01))
Program Officer
Menkens, Anne E
Project Start
1990-07-01
Project End
2003-02-28
Budget Start
2000-03-01
Budget End
2003-02-28
Support Year
12
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$246,424
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Department
Radiation-Diagnostic/Oncology
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
001910777
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77030
Liu, Xinming; Shaw, Chris C; Altunbas, Mustafa C et al. (2006) An alternate line erasure and readout (ALER) method for implementing slot-scan imaging technique with a flat-panel detector--initial experiences. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 25:496-502
Liu, Xinming; Shaw, Chris C (2004) A-Si:H/CsI(Tl) flat-panel versus computed radiography for chest imaging applications: image quality metrics measurement. Med Phys 31:98-110
Kappadath, S Cheenu; Shaw, Chris C (2003) Dual-energy digital mammography: calibration and inverse-mapping techniques to estimate calcification thickness and glandular-tissue ratio. Med Phys 30:1110-7
Lemacks, Michael R; Kappadath, S Cheenu; Shaw, Chris C et al. (2002) A dual-energy subtraction technique for microcalcification imaging in digital mammography--a signal-to-noise analysis. Med Phys 29:1739-51
Rong, Xiujiang J; Shaw, Chris C; Johnston, Dennis A et al. (2002) Microcalcification detectability for four mammographic detectors: flat-panel, CCD, CR, and screen/film). Med Phys 29:2052-61
Rong, X J; Shaw, C C; Liu, X et al. (2001) Comparison of an amorphous silicon/cesium iodide flat-panel digital chest radiography system with screen/film and computed radiography systems--a contrast-detail phantom study. Med Phys 28:2328-35
Liu, X; Shaw, C C (2001) Regional improvement of signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in dual-screen CR chest imaging--a phantom study. Med Phys 28:1080-92
Wang, T; Shaw, C C; Li, C C (1999) Pixelwise fusion for optimizing SNR in multiple-plate computed radiography imaging. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 18:239-51
Shaw, C C; Wang, T; King, J L et al. (1998) Computed radiography versus screen-film mammography in detection of simulated microcalcifications: a receiver operating characteristic study based on phantom images. Acad Radiol 5:173-80
Breitenstein, D S; Shaw, C C (1998) Comparison of three tissue composition measurement techniques using digital mammograms--a signal-to-noise study. J Digit Imaging 11:137-50

Showing the most recent 10 out of 19 publications