Design of linear anti-scatter grid geometry with optimum performance for screen-film and digital mammography systems

A detailed 3D Monte Carlo simulation of the grid geometrical parameters in screen-film mammography (SFM) and digital mammography (DM) systems has been performed. A combination of IEC 60627:2013 international standard conditions and other more clinically relevant parameters were used for this simulation. Accuracy of our results has been benchmarked with previously published data and good agreement has been obtained. Calculations in a wide range of linear anti-scatter grid geometries have been carried out. The evaluated parameters for the SFM system were the Bucky factor (BF) and contrast improvement factor (CIF) and for the DM system it was signal difference-to-noise ratio improvement factor (SIF). The CIF parameter was chosen to be nearly the same as the commercial grade, the BF and SIF were significantly improved compared to commercial grids in use today. Our optimized grid parameters for the SFM system were lead strip thickness d = 12 µm, grid ratio r = 5 and strip density N = 65 lines/cm. And for the DM system these parameters were d = 5 µm, r = 3 and N = 100 lines/cm. Both optimized grid sets have thinner d and higher N compared to the commercial grids.