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Updated: May 8, 2026
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Clinical Imaging of Microwave Mammography
Published on: November 14, 2025
Characterizing the modulation transfer function (MTF) of proton/carbon radiography using Monte Carlo simulations
Joao Seco1, Michael Oumano, Nicolas Depauw
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. JSECO@PARTNERS.ORG
Medical Physics
|September 7, 2013
Summary
Carbon and proton radiography show submillimeter spatial resolution. Carbon radiography (400 MeV/n) offers the best imaging performance, outperforming proton radiography at various energies.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging Physics
- Radiography Technology
- Monte Carlo Simulations
Background:
- Proton and carbon radiography are advanced imaging techniques.
- Assessing their spatial resolution is crucial for clinical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the modulation transfer function (MTF) of proton and carbon radiography.
- To evaluate the spatial resolution of these imaging modalities using Monte Carlo simulations.
Main Methods:
- Modeled a phantom with bone and lung inserts in water.
- Simulated proton beams (230, 330 MeV) and carbon ion beams (400 MeV/n).
- Analyzed contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and calculated MTF10% for spatial resolution.
Main Results:
- Submillimeter full width half-maximum (FWHM) values were achieved.
- MTF10% values ranged from 1.4 to 2.9 lp/mm across different beam types, energies, and phantom thicknesses.
- Carbon radiography demonstrated superior spatial resolution compared to proton radiography.
Conclusions:
- Carbon radiography (400 MeV/n) provides the best spatial resolution.
- Higher proton energy (330 MeV) improves spatial resolution over lower energy (230 MeV).
- Submillimeter resolution is achievable with both proton and carbon radiography.
