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Scatter Removal in Photon-Counting Dual-Energy Chest X-Ray Imaging Using a Moving Block Method: A Simulation Phantom
Bahaa Ghammraoui1, Yee Lam Elim Thompson1
1Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 13, 2025
Summary
Scatter correction using a moving block method significantly improves dual-energy subtraction images in photon-counting chest radiography. This dose-neutral strategy enhances contrast and reduces artifacts, especially for larger patient sizes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging Physics
- Radiological Sciences
- Photon-Counting Detector Technology
Background:
- Dual-energy radiography (DE) offers improved tissue characterization.
- Scatter radiation degrades DE image quality, necessitating correction.
- Photon-counting detectors (PCDs) enable advanced DE imaging but require robust scatter handling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a moving block scatter correction method in photon-counting dual-energy (PC-DE) chest radiography.
- To quantify scatter-induced degradations using IEC 62220-2-1 dual-energy metrics.
- To assess the impact of scatter correction on image contrast and artifacts across different simulated patient sizes.
Main Methods:
- Simulated PC-DE chest radiography using MC-GPU and Photon Counting Toolkit with a CdTe detector.
- Modeled a modified LucAl phantom in three sizes with PMMA and aluminum inserts.
- Estimated and subtracted scatter using a moving block method with Gaussian smoothing (σ=5.0 mm).
- Evaluated performance using dual-energy contrast (DEC) and dual-energy subtraction efficiency (DSE) normalized to 1 mGy entrance air kerma.
Main Results:
- Moving block scatter estimation achieved an average pixel-wise error of 0.4%.
- Scatter contamination reduced target material contrast by up to 25% and introduced artifacts, particularly in Al-enhanced images.
- Scatter correction restored contrast, increased target DEC, maintained low non-target DEC, and reduced edge artifacts.
- Performance gains were most pronounced in the large phantom, indicating improved accuracy for larger patient sizes.
Conclusions:
- The moving block method effectively corrects scatter in PC-DE chest radiography.
- Scatter correction significantly enhances image quality by improving contrast and reducing artifacts.
- This technique is a dose-neutral strategy for optimizing PC-DE chest imaging, particularly beneficial for larger patients.
