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Published on: September 11, 2011
Pediatric Chest Photon-counting CT: Dose and Noise Behavior of Clinical Sn100 kVp and 90 kVp Protocols across Image
Laura Valentina Klüner1, Sebastian Zensen1, Hannah Peuster2
1University Hospital Essen, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Germany, Essen.
Purpose:
Photon-counting CT (PCCT) and spectral shaping enable new approaches in pediatric imaging, but the effects of clinically implemented tin-filtered pediatric chest protocols on radiation dose and image noise across image quality levels (IQLs) remain insufficiently characterized. This study compared a clinical Sn100 kVp ultra-high resolution (UHR) protocol with a non-tin-filtered 90 kVp standard-resolution protocol using anthropomorphic pediatric phantoms.
Materials And Methods:
Three pediatric phantoms (1, 5, and 10 years) were scanned on a commercial PCCT system across IQLs 1-300 using the clinical Sn100 kVp UHR and non-tin-filtered 90 kVp standard-resolution protocols. Radiation dose and ROI-based image noise in lung parenchyma and bone were recorded.
Results:
The Sn100 kVp UHR protocol showed lower lung-parenchymal noise across all phantom sizes and IQLs and generally lower bone noise. In the ultra-low-dose range (IQL 1-10), lung-parenchymal noise reductions ranged from 31% to 52% and bone-noise reductions reached 58%. Across most IQLs, the Sn100 kVp UHR protocol was associated with higher radiation dose. At high IQLs, dose plateaus occurred at approximately IQL 150 and 100 in the 5- and 10-year-old phantoms, followed by dose crossovers at approximately IQL 220 and 150, respectively. At very low IQLs, the Sn100 kVp UHR protocol showed a dose advantage up to IQL 5, 4, and 3 in the 1-, 5-, and 10-year-old phantoms, respectively.
Conclusions:
The Sn100 kVp UHR protocol was associated with lower image noise but was not universally dose-saving compared with the non-tin-filtered 90 kVp standard-resolution protocol. In addition, the observed dose behavior was influenced not only by spectral shaping but also by detector readout mode and protocol-specific technical constraints. These findings may support future pediatric chest PCCT protocol optimization.
Key Points:
· The clinical Sn100 kVp UHR protocol was associated with lower lung-parenchymal noise and generally lower bone noise compared with the non-tin-filtered 90 kVp standard-resolution protocol.. · The dose advantage of the Sn100 kVp UHR protocol was limited to very low IQLs, while most IQLs showed higher radiation dose compared with the 90 kVp standard-resolution protocol.. · At high image quality levels, the Sn100 kVp UHR protocol exhibited dose plateaus, limiting further dose increase despite higher target image quality..
Citation Format:
· Klüner LV, Zensen S, Peuster H et al. Pediatric Chest Photon-counting CT: Dose and Noise Behavior of Clinical Sn100 kVp and 90 kVp Protocols across Image Quality Levels - a Phantom Study. Rofo 2026; DOI 10.1055/a-2935-4084.
