Relevance of MTF and NPS in quantitative CT: towards developing a predictable model of quantitative performance

Baiyu Chen; Samuel Richard; Ehsan Samei

doi:10.1117/12.913219

9 March 2012 Relevance of MTF and NPS in quantitative CT: towards developing a predictable model of quantitative performance

Baiyu Chen, Samuel Richard, Ehsan Samei

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8313, Medical Imaging 2012: Physics of Medical Imaging; 83132O (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.913219
Event: SPIE Medical Imaging, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The quantification of lung nodule volume based on CT images provides valuable information for disease diagnosis and staging. However, the precision of the quantification is protocol, system, and technique dependent and needs to be evaluated for each specific case. To efficiently investigate the quantitative precision and find an optimal operating point, it is important to develop a predictive model based on basic system parameters. In this study, a Fourier-based metric, the estimability index (e') was proposed as such a predictor, and validated across a variety of imaging conditions. To first obtain the ground truth of quantitative precision, an anthropomorphic chest phantom with synthetic spherical nodules were imaged on a 64 slice CT scanner across a range of protocols (five exposure levels and two reconstruction algorithms). The volumes of nodules were quantified from the images using clinical software, with the precision of the quantification calculated for each protocol. To predict the precision, e' was calculated for each protocol based on several Fourier-based figures of merit, which modeled the characteristic of the quantitation task and the imaging condition (resolution, noise, etc.) of a particular protocol. Results showed a strong correlation (R²=0.92) between the measured and predicted precision across all protocols, indicating e' as an effective predictor of the quantitative precision. This study provides a useful framework for quantification-oriented optimization of CT protocols.

Citation Download Citation

Baiyu Chen, Samuel Richard, and Ehsan Samei "Relevance of MTF and NPS in quantitative CT: towards developing a predictable model of quantitative performance", Proc. SPIE 8313, Medical Imaging 2012: Physics of Medical Imaging, 83132O (9 March 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.913219

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