Copper filtration reduces radiation dose while maintaining image quality in cerebral flat-detector CT

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Flat-detector computed tomography (FDCT) is vital for peri-interventional cerebral imaging.
• FDCT use is limited by high radiation exposure.
• The effect of Copper (Cu) filtration on cerebral image quality and hemorrhage detection is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of Cu filtration on radiation dose during cerebral FDCT.
• To assess the effect of Cu filtration on image quality and intracranial hemorrhage detection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 31 patients undergoing neurointerventional procedures.
• Intraindividual comparison of FDCT with and without Cu filtration.
• Quantitative (CNR) and qualitative image analysis, including hemorrhage detection by blinded readers.

Main Results:

• Cu filtration reduced radiation dose by 25.9% (P<0.001).
• No significant difference in contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) or qualitative image ratings was observed.
• Intracranial hemorrhages were accurately detected with both techniques, with similar diagnostic performance.

Conclusions:

• Cu filtration is an effective strategy for reducing radiation dose in cerebral FDCT.
• The technique preserves diagnostic image quality and intracranial hemorrhage detection capabilities.
• Cu filtration supports clinical implementation as a dose optimization method for peri-interventional imaging.