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Deriving Hounsfield units using grey levels in cone beam computed tomography.

P Mah¹, T E Reeves, W D McDavid

¹University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), Dental Diagnostic Science, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. mah@uthscsa.edu

Dento Maxillo Facial Radiology

|August 24, 2010

Summary

Dental cone beam CT (CBCT) grey levels can be converted to Hounsfield units (HU) using linear attenuation coefficients. This study demonstrates a reliable method for calibrating CBCT scanners for accurate density measurements.

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Area of Science:

Medical Imaging
Radiology
Dental Technology

Background:

Dental cone beam CT (CBCT) provides valuable diagnostic information.
Accurate density assessment in CBCT requires standardized Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements.
Variability in CBCT scanner output necessitates calibration methods.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the correlation between grey levels in dental CBCT images and Hounsfield units (HU).
To establish a method for deriving HU values from CBCT grey levels.
To assess the feasibility of using linear attenuation coefficients for CBCT calibration.

Main Methods:

An in vitro phantom with 8 materials was scanned using 11 dental CBCT and 2 medical CT scanners.
Scans were performed under varying water immersion conditions (phantom alone, small, and large water containers).
Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data were analyzed to determine the relationship between grey levels and linear attenuation coefficients.

Main Results:

A linear relationship was confirmed between grey levels and material attenuation coefficients at a specific effective energy.
Linear regression analysis allowed for the calculation of attenuation coefficients for each material.
Hounsfield unit (HU) values were derived from the calculated attenuation coefficients using a standard equation.

Conclusions:

Hounsfield units (HU) can be accurately derived from dental CBCT grey levels.
Linear attenuation coefficients serve as a crucial intermediate step for this conversion.
This method enables more precise density quantification in dental CBCT imaging.