Demonstration of iodine K-edge imaging by use of an energy-discrimination X-ray computed tomography system with a cadmium telluride detector

Radiol Phys Technol. 2010 Jul;3(2):127-35. doi: 10.1007/s12194-010-0088-8. Epub 2010 Mar 17.

Abstract

An energy-discrimination K-edge X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is useful for increasing the contrast resolution of a target region by utilizing contrast media. The CT system has a cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector, and a projection curve is obtained by linear scanning with use of the CdTe detector in conjunction with an X-stage. An object is rotated by a rotation step angle with use of a turntable between the linear scans. Thus, CT is carried out by repetition of the linear scanning and the rotation of an object. Penetrating X-ray photons from the object are detected by the CdTe detector, and event signals of X-ray photons are produced with use of charge-sensitive and shaping amplifiers. Both the photon energy and the energy width are selected by use of a multi-channel analyzer, and the number of photons is counted by a counter card. For performing energy discrimination, a low-dose-rate X-ray generator for photon counting was developed; the maximum tube voltage and the minimum tube current were 110 kV and 1.0 microA, respectively. In energy-discrimination CT, the tube voltage and the current were 60 kV and 20.0 microA, respectively, and the X-ray intensity was 0.735 microGy/s at 1.0 m from the source and with a tube voltage of 60 kV. Demonstration of enhanced iodine K-edge X-ray CT was carried out by selection of photons with energies just beyond the iodine K-edge energy of 33.2 keV.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cadmium Compounds*
  • Dogs
  • Ear Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Iodine*
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Rabbits
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Tellurium*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / instrumentation*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods

Substances

  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Iodine
  • Tellurium
  • cadmium telluride