In principle, dual-energy CT can only accurately decompose a mixture into two materials. To decompose a mixture into three constitute materials using dual-energy CT measurements, a third criteria ...must be provided to solve for three unknowns with only two spectral measurements. One solution is to assume that the sum of the volumes of three constituent materials is equivalent to the volume of the mixture (i.e., volume conservation), but this is not always true. A more generalized solution is to use the principle of mass conservation, which assumes that the sum of the masses of the three constituent materials is equivalent to the mass of the mixture. In this article, a mass-conservation based, three-material decomposition dual-energy CT algorithm is described and experimental validation of the accuracy of the technique presented. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately measure elemental concentrations under low noise imaging conditions. Clinically, this may be applied to measure the mass fraction of any chemical element in a three-material mixture of solutions without the requirement of volume conservation.
We present a performance evaluation of a recently introduced dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) system equipped with two X-ray tubes and two corresponding detectors, mounted onto the rotating ...gantry with an angular offset of 90 degrees . We introduce the system concept and derive its consequences and potential benefits for electrocardiograph corrected (ECG)-controlled cardiac CT and for general radiology applications. We evaluate both temporal and spatial resolution by means of phantom scans. We present first patient scans to illustrate the performance of DSCT for ECG-gated cardiac imaging, and we demonstrate first results using a dual-energy acquisition mode. Using ECG-gated single-segment reconstruction, the DSCT system provides 83 ms temporal resolution independent of the patient's heart rate for coronary CT angiography (CTA) and evaluation of basic functional parameters. With dual-segment reconstruction, the mean temporal resolution is 60 ms (minimum temporal resolution 42 ms) for advanced functional evaluation. The z-flying focal spot technique implemented in the evaluated DSCT system allows 0.4 mm cylinders to be resolved at all heart rates. First clinical experience shows a considerably increased robustness for the imaging of patients with high heart rates. As a potential application of the dual-energy acquisition mode, the automatic separation of bones and iodine-filled vessels is demonstrated.
Abstract
The Foundation Supernova Survey aims to provide a large, high-fidelity, homogeneous, and precisely calibrated low-redshift Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) sample for cosmology. The calibration of ...the current low-redshift SN sample is the largest component of systematic uncertainties for SN cosmology, and new data are necessary to make progress. We present the motivation, survey design, observation strategy, implementation, and first results for the Foundation Supernova Survey. We are using the Pan-STARRS telescope to obtain photometry for up to 800 SNe Ia at z ≲ 0.1. This strategy has several unique advantages: (1) the Pan-STARRS system is a superbly calibrated telescopic system, (2) Pan-STARRS has observed 3/4 of the sky in grizyP1 making future template observations unnecessary, (3) we have a well-tested data-reduction pipeline, and (4) we have observed ∼3000 high-redshift SNe Ia on this system. Here, we present our initial sample of 225 SN Ia grizP1 light curves, of which 180 pass all criteria for inclusion in a cosmological sample. The Foundation Supernova Survey already contains more cosmologically useful SNe Ia than all other published low-redshift SN Ia samples combined. We expect that the systematic uncertainties for the Foundation Supernova Sample will be two to three times smaller than other low-redshift samples. We find that our cosmologically useful sample has an intrinsic scatter of 0.111 mag, smaller than other low-redshift samples. We perform detailed simulations showing that simply replacing the current low-redshift SN Ia sample with an equally sized Foundation sample will improve the precision on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter by 35 per cent, and the dark energy figure of merit by 72 per cent.
Strategies for reducing radiation dose in CT McCollough, Cynthia H; Primak, Andrew N; Braun, Natalie ...
The Radiologic clinics of North America
47, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In recent years, the media has focused on the potential danger of radiation exposure from CT, even though the potential benefit of a medically indicated CT far outweighs the potential risks. This ...attention has reminded the radiology community that doses must be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) while maintaining diagnostic image quality. To satisfy the ALARA principle, the dose reduction strategies described in this article must be well understood and properly used. The use of CT must also be justified for the specific diagnostic task.
The use of additional spectral filtration for dual-energy (DE) imaging using a dual-source CT (DSCT) system was investigated and its effect on the material-specific
DE
ratio
was evaluated for several ...clinically relevant materials. The x-ray spectra, data acquisition, and reconstruction processes for a DSCT system (Siemens Definition) were simulated using information provided by the system manufacturer, resulting in virtual DE images. The factory-installed filtration for the 80 kV spectrum was left unchanged to avoid any further reductions in tube output, and only the filtration for the high-energy spectrum was modified. Only practical single-element filter materials within the atomic number range of
40
≤
Z
≤
83
were evaluated, with the aim of maximizing the separation between the two spectra, while maintaining similar noise levels for high- and low-energy images acquired at the same tube current. The differences between mean energies and the ratio of the 140 and 80 kV detector signals, each integrated below 80 keV, were evaluated. The simulations were performed for three attenuation scenarios: Head, body, and large body. The large body scenario was evaluated for the DE acquisition mode using the 100 and 140 kV spectra. The
DE
ratio
for calcium hydroxyapatite (simulating bone or calcifications), iodine, and iron were determined for CT images simulated using the modified and factory-installed filtration. Several filter materials were found to perform well at proper thicknesses, with tin being a good practical choice. When image noise was matched between the low- and high-energy images, the spectral difference in mean absorbed energy using tin was increased from 25.7 to 42.7 keV (head), from 28.6 to 44.1 keV (body), and from 20.2 to 30.2 keV (large body). The overlap of the signal spectra for energies below 80 keV was reduced from 78% to 31% (head), from 93% to 27% (body), and from 106% to 79% (large body). The
DE
ratio
for the body attenuation scenario increased from 1.45 to 1.91 (calcium), from 1.84 to 3.39 (iodine), and from 1.73 to 2.93 (iron) with the additional tin filtration compared to the factory filtration. This use of additional filtration for one of the x-ray tubes used in dual-source DECT dramatically increased the difference between material-specific DE ratios, e.g., from 0.39 to 1.48 for calcium and iodine or from 0.28 to 1.02 for calcium and iron. Because the ability to discriminate between different materials in DE imaging depends primarily on the differences in DE ratios, this increase is expected to improve the performance of any material-specific DECT imaging task. Furthermore, for the large patient size and in conjunction with a 100/140 kV acquisition, the use of additional filtration decreased noise in the low-energy images and increased contrast in the DE image relative to that obtained with 80/140 kV and no additional filtration.
Aims.
We aim to expand our understanding of radio wave emission and propagation in the pulsar magnetosphere by studying the polarisation of drifting sub-pulses in highly sensitive observations of PSR ...B1919+21 recorded at the Arecibo Observatory.
Methods.
We apply and compare several methods of analysis and visualisation, including eigenvalue analysis of the longitude-resolved covariances between the Stokes parameters; longitude-resolved scatter plots of the normalised Stokes vectors in the Poincaré sphere; auto- and cross-correlations between the Stokes parameters as a function of offset in pulse longitude and lag in pulse number; and mean drift bands of polarisation state, formed by averaging the Stokes parameters and quantities derived from them synchronously with the drifting sub-pulse modulation period.
Results.
We observe regions of pulse longitude where the superposition of orthogonally polarised modes is best described as incoherent and regions where the superposition appears to be at least partially coherent. Within the region of coherent superposition, over a range of pulse longitudes spanning ∼2°, the distribution of the Stokes polarisation vectors forms a torus centered near the origin of the Poincaré sphere. Furthermore, the polarisation vectors rotate about the axis of revolution of the torus synchronously with the drifting sub-pulse modulation of the total intensity.
Conclusions.
The nearly uniform circular modulation of polarisation state, clearly evident in both the toroidal distribution of the Stokes polarisation vectors and the mean drift bands of the Stokes parameters, is not predicted by current theoretical models of pulsar emission. We propose different scenarios to explain the generation of the torus, based on either incoherent or phase-coherent superposition of orthogonally polarised modes.
Abstract
We present two hydrogen-rich superluminous supernovae (SLSNe): SN2103hx and PS15br. These objects, together with SN2008es, are the only SLSNe showing a distinct, broad H α feature during the ...photospheric phase; also, they show no sign of strong interaction between fast moving ejecta and circumstellar shells in their early spectra. Despite the fact that the peak luminosity of PS15br is fainter than that of the other two objects, the spectrophotometric evolution is similar to SN2103hx and different from any other supernova in a similar luminosity space. We group all of them as SLSNe II and hence they are distinct from the known class of SLSN IIn. Both transients show a strong, multicomponent H α emission after 200 d past maximum, which we interpret as an indication of the interaction of the ejecta with an asymmetric, clumpy circumstellar material. The spectra and photometric evolution of the two objects are similar to Type II supernovae, although they have much higher luminosity and evolve on slower time-scales. This is qualitatively similar to how SLSNe I compare with normal type Ic, in that the former are brighter and evolve more slowly. We apply a magnetar and an interaction semi-analytical code to fit the light curves of our two objects and SN2008es. The overall observational data set would tend to favour the magnetar, or central engine, model as the source of the peak luminosity, although the clear signature of late-time interaction indicates that interaction can play a role in the luminosity evolution of SLSNe II at some phases.
In dual-source dual-energy CT, the images reconstructed from the low- and high-energy scans (typically at 80 and 140 kV, respectively) can be mixed together to provide a single set of ...non-material-specific images for the purpose of routine diagnostic interpretation. Different from the material-specific information that may be obtained from the dual-energy scan data, the mixed images are created with the purpose of providing the interpreting physician a single set of images that have an appearance similar to that in single-energy images acquired at the same total radiation dose. In this work, the authors used a phantom study to evaluate the image quality of linearly mixed images in comparison to single-energy CT images, assuming the same total radiation dose and taking into account the effect of patient size and the dose partitioning between the low-and high-energy scans. The authors first developed a method to optimize the quality of the linearly mixed images such that the single-energy image quality was compared to the best-case image quality of the dual-energy mixed images. Compared to 80 kV single-energy images for the same radiation dose, the iodine CNR in dual-energy mixed images was worse for smaller phantom sizes. However, similar noise and similar or improved iodine CNR relative to 120 kV images could be achieved for dual-energy mixed images using the same total radiation dose over a wide range of patient sizes (up to 45 cm lateral thorax dimension). Thus, for adult CT practices, which primarily use 120 kV scanning, the use of dual-energy CT for the purpose of material-specific imaging can also produce a set of non-material-specific images for routine diagnostic interpretation that are of similar or improved quality relative to single-energy 120 kV scans.
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