Medical imaging applications of next-generation spectroscopic x-ray imaging detectors

下一代光谱X射线成像探测器的医学成像应用

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-06631
• 负责人: Tanguay, Jesse
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: Ryerson University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=761812
• 关键词: Medical; imaging; applications; next; generation

MOTIVATION: Medical x-ray imaging has revolutionized modern medicine; greater than 200 million x-ray imaging procedures are performed each year in North America. However, x-ray imaging procedures have been associated with cancer risks, with an estimated 20,000 cancers worldwide per year attributed to radiation exposure from x-ray imaging. There is therefore an urgent need to reduce radiation exposures from x-ray imaging. The efficiency with which x-rays are used to produce an image is limited by x-ray detector technology. Improving the dose efficiency of x-ray detectors is therefore expected to reduce the amount of radiation required for x-ray imaging procedures. Advances in x-ray detector technology have led to spectroscopic x-ray detectors, which are capable of estimating the energy of individual x-ray photons at rates adequate for a wide range of medical imaging procedures. This is an entirely different approach to x-ray detection than that used in clinically-available systems, and may potentiate a new paradigm of low-dose x-ray imaging.RESEARCH PROBLEM: More research is needed to optimize spectroscopic x-ray detectors for specific imaging tasks and to provide evidence-based data on their dose efficiency relative to existing approaches. This is challenging because the development of spectroscopic x-ray detectors preceded a comprehensive analytical framework for optimizing their imaging performance and for comparing optimized spectroscopic methods with conventional x-ray imaging methods. This critical limitation impedes the development and optimization of spectroscopic x-ray systems, which subsequently impairs identification of the spectroscopic systems that have the best potential for successful clinical implementation.OBJECTIVES: This research program will develop analytical tools for quantitative evaluation of the imaging performance of spectroscopic x-ray imaging methods, which will enable: 1) guiding the development of novel spectroscopic systems; 2) establishing performance benchmarks for comparison with experimental results, and; 3) identifying which spectroscopic x-ray systems will improve x-ray image quality while reducing associated risks.IMPACT: Spectroscopic x-ray imaging is the next generation of medical x-ray imaging, enabling advanced medical imaging applications not possible with existing clinical technology. This research program will provide image scientists and medical-imaging-system developers with the analytical tools that are urgently required to identify which spectroscopic x-ray imaging systems, and applications thereof, will improve disease detectability while minimizing associated risks. The results of this research will enable academia and industry to target valuable research resources at designing and testing the spectroscopic systems that have the best potential for successful clinical implementation.

动机：医学X射线成像彻底改变了现代医学；在北美，每年进行超过2亿个X射线成像程序。但是，X射线成像程序与癌症风险有关，估计全球20,000次癌症归因于X射线成像的辐射暴露。因此，迫切需要减少X射线成像中的辐射暴露。 X射线用于产生图像的效率受X射线检测器技术的限制。因此，提高X射线检测器的剂量效率有望减少X射线成像程序所需的辐射量。 X射线检测器技术的进步导致光谱X射线探测器，该检测器能够以适合各种医学成像程序的速度估算单个X射线光子的能量。这是X射线检测的一种完全不同的方法，与临床上可用的系统中使用的方法可能会增强低剂量X射线成像的新范式。进行研究：需要更多的研究来优化光谱X射线检测器，以使特定成像任务相对于现有方法提供基于剂量的剂量数据。这是具有挑战性的，因为光谱X射线检测器的开发在一个全面的分析框架之前，用于优化其成像性能，并将优化的光谱方法与常规的X射线成像方法进行比较。 This critical limitation impedes the development and optimization of spectroscopic x-ray systems, which subsequently impairs identification of the spectroscopic systems that have the best potential for successful clinical implementation.OBJECTIVES: This research program will develop analytical tools for quantitative evaluation of the imaging performance of spectroscopic x-ray imaging methods, which will enable: 1) guiding the development of novel spectroscopic systems; 2）建立性能基准与实验结果进行比较，并且； 3）确定哪种光谱X射线系统将改善X射线图像质量，同时降低相关风险。Impact：SpectRoscic X射线成像是下一代医学X射线成像，可以通过现有的临床技术实现高级医学成像应用。该研究计划将为图像科学家和医学成像系统开发人员提供迫切需要的分析工具，以识别哪些光谱X射线成像系统及其应用将改善疾病可检测性，同时最大程度地减少相关风险。这项研究的结果将使学术界和行业能够针对有价值的研究资源，以设计和测试具有成功临床实施潜力的光谱系统。