Flat panel imagers based on amorphous silicon technology (a-Si) for digital radiography are accepted by the medical
and industrial community as having several advantages over radiographic film-based systems. Use of Mega-voltage
x-rays with these flat panel systems is applicable to both portal imaging for radiotherapy and for nondestructive
testing (NDT) and security applications. In the medical field, one potential application that has not been greatly
explored is to radiotherapy treatment planning. Currently, such conventional computed tomographic (CT) data
acquired at kV energies is used to help delineate tumor targets and normal structures that are to be spared during
treatment. CT number accuracy is crucial for radiotherapy dose calculations. Conventional CT scanners operating at
kV X-ray energies typically exhibit significant image reconstruction artifacts in the presence of metal implants in
human body. Using the X-ray treatment beams, having energies typically ≥6MV, to acquire the CT data may not be
practical if it is desired to maintain contrast sensitivity at a sufficiently low dose. Nondestructive testing imaging
systems can expand their application space with the development of the higher energy accelerator for use in
pipeline, and casting inspection as well as certain cargo screening applications that require more penetration. A new
prototype x-band BCL designed to operate up to 1.75 MV has been designed built and tested. The BCL was tested
with a prototype portal imager and medical phantoms to determine artifact reductions and a PaxScan 2530HE
industrial imager to demonstrate resolution is maintained and penetration is improved.
Flat panels imagers based on amorphous silicon technology (a-Si) for digital radiography have been
accepted by the medical community as having several advantages over film-based systems.
Radiotherapy treatment planning systems employ computed tomographic (CT) data sets and
projection images to delineate tumor targets and normal structures that are to be spared from
radiation treatment. The accuracy of CT numbers is crucial for radiotherapy dose calculations.
Conventional CT scanners operating at kilovoltage X-ray energies typically exhibit significant image
reconstruction artifacts in the presence of metal implants in human body. Megavoltage X-ray
energies have problems maintaining contrast sensitivity for the same dose as kV X-ray systems. We
intend to demonstrate significant improvement in metal artifact reductions and electron density
measurements using an amorphous silicon a-Si imager obtained with an X-ray source that can
operate at energies up to 1 MeV. We will investigate the ability to maintain contrast sensitivity at
this higher X-ray energy by using targets with lower atomic numbers and appropriate amounts of Xray
filtration than are typically used as X-ray production targets and filters.
The use of flat panels based on amorphous silicon technology (a-Si) for digital radiography has been
accepted by the medical community as having advantages over film-based systems. Radiation
treatment planning employs computed tomographic (CT) data sets and projection images to
delineate tumor targets and normal structures that are to be spared from radiation treatment. The
accuracy of CT numbers is crucial for radiotherapy dose calculations in general but is even more
important for charged particle therapy. Conventional CT scanners operating at kilovoltage X-ray
energies typically exhibit significant image reconstruction artifacts in the presence of metal implants
in human body. We demonstrate a significant improvement in metal artifact reductions and electron
density measurements using an amorphous silicon a-Si imager obtained with an X-ray source that
can operate at energies up to 1 MeV. The data collected with the higher energy system will be
compared and contrasted to CT results obtained at standard kilovoltage energies.
The use of flat panels based on amorphous silicon technology for digital radiography has been
accepted in the medical community due to their advantages over film for several applications. For
industrial applications similar advantages for panels exist. Digital radiography gives the user
improved sensitivity, better contrast resolution and enables sequential image acquisition. A mixture
of radiographic and computed tomographic images are presented that covers the energy range from
125 kVp to 9 MeV.
KEYWORDS: X-rays, Iron, Uranium, Sensors, X-ray imaging, Dual energy imaging, Weapons of mass destruction, Gamma radiation, Signal attenuation, Plutonium
The Dual Energy X-ray technique employs two X-ray projection images of an object with X-ray energy spectra at a low X-ray energy and a high X-ray energy. The two energies are both high enough to penetrate all cargoes. The endpoint energies for low and high will be approximately 5-6 MeV and 8-9.5 MeV respectively. These energies are chosen such that pair production is the dominant energy loss mechanism for the high energy mode. By defining the ratio of the transmitted X-ray photon R = Thigh/Tlow it can be shown that there is a difference in the ratio that will permit the detection of materials that are significantly higher in atomic number than the low to mid atomic numbered elements that normally appear in the stream of commerce. This difference can be used to assist in the automatic detection of high atomic numbered materials. These materials might be a WMD or dirty bomb. When coupled with detectors that can observe the delayed signature of photon induced fission a confirmation of a WMD may be made. The use of the delayed photons and neutrons from Photofission can confirm the presence of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM). The energy required to induce fission in SNM by a photon is approximately 6 MeV with the maximum fission production rate from X-ray photons in the energy range of 12-15 MeV.
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