Establishing a quality control protocol for dual-energy based contrast-enhanced digital mammography

L. Cockmartin; H. Bosmans; N. W. Marshall

doi:10.1117/12.2581816

15 February 2021 Establishing a quality control protocol for dual-energy based contrast-enhanced digital mammography

L. Cockmartin, H. Bosmans, N. W. Marshall

Proceedings Volume 11595, Medical Imaging 2021: Physics of Medical Imaging; 115952B (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2581816
Event: SPIE Medical Imaging, 2021, Online Only

Abstract

This study explores candidate metrics for use in a vendor-neutral Quality Control (QC) protocol for dual energy based (‘spectral’) contrast-enhanced digital mammography (DE-CEDM). The physical metrics were chosen for their anticipated link with clinical image quality. An extra criterion was that limiting values can be applied to these metrics. The following DE-CEDM characteristics were tested: (1) signal produced by test object inserts versus their iodine concentration for different breast tissue thicknesses and compositions, the possibility of iodine quantification and iodine detectability thresholds; (2) normal breast tissue cancellation for different types of simulated tissue compositions; (3) artefacts; (4) image uniformity; (5) exposure time and (6) mean glandular dose (MGD). The tests employed custom made and commercially available phantoms based on breast-tissue equivalent materials and iodine inserts. Initial test results on a specific DE-CEDM application (SenoBright HD, GE Healthcare) found a linear response to iodine concentration that was largely independent of background composition, with slopes in the range of 30 – 43 for iodine pixel value as a function of iodine concentration, making absolute iodine quantification possible. The residual signal due to normal tissue in the subtracted image was equivalent to less than 0.3 mg/cm² of iodine. Artefacts were quantified and considered acceptable. For a 5 cm thick breast, the system operates at a total MGD of 1.92 mGy with a total exposure time of 4.25 s. The preliminary QC test results are ready for discussion in the broader community of radiologists, medical physicists and manufacturers.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

L. Cockmartin, H. Bosmans, and N. W. Marshall "Establishing a quality control protocol for dual-energy based contrast-enhanced digital mammography", Proc. SPIE 11595, Medical Imaging 2021: Physics of Medical Imaging, 115952B (15 February 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2581816

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