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Relative electron density determination using a physics based parameterization of photon interactions in medical
Joanne K van Abbema1, Marc-Jan van Goethem, Marcel J W Greuter
1University of Groningen, Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut, Center for Advanced Radiation Technology, Zernikelaan 25, 9747 AA Groningen, The Netherlands.
Physics in Medicine and Biology
|April 24, 2015
Summary
This study presents a dual-energy CT method for precisely measuring tissue electron density and elemental composition. This advancement improves accuracy in radiotherapy and particle therapy treatment planning.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiological Imaging
- Computational Modeling
Background:
- Accurate electron density and elemental composition are crucial for radiotherapy and particle therapy dose calculations.
- Current methods may lack the precision needed for advanced treatment planning.
- Dual-energy CT (DECT) offers potential for improved tissue characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a DECT image analysis method for determining tissue electron densities and effective atomic numbers.
- To enhance the accuracy of data used in radiation therapy treatment planning.
- To provide a robust tool for precise tissue characterization in medical imaging.
Main Methods:
- Modeling the CT measurement process using energy-dependent system weighting functions.
- Parameterizing photon interaction cross-sections based on Jackson and Hawkes' analysis.
- Implementing an iterative process with a local weighting function to correct for beam hardening, derived from Heismann and Balda's method.
Main Results:
- The DECT analysis method accurately determines electron densities and effective atomic numbers (Zeff 1-30).
- Parameterization deviates by at most 0.3% from NIST values for elements H to Zn.
- Experimental validation on a tissue characterization phantom showed electron density accuracy better than 1%.
Conclusions:
- The presented DECT analysis method provides highly accurate electron densities and effective atomic numbers.
- This method is suitable for improving the precision of radiotherapy and particle therapy treatment planning.
- DECT offers a valuable tool for quantitative tissue characterization in clinical settings.
