Assessment of the image quality of virtual monochromatic spectral computed tomography images: a phantom study considering object contrast, radiation dose, and frequency characteristics.

Abstract

Fast kilovoltage (kVp)-switching technology cannot obtain conventional 120kVp images; thus, 70keV virtual monochromatic spectral computed tomography (CT) images (VMSI) are generally used. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) is used to evaluate the image quality of VMSI; however, CNR does not include frequency characteristics. The present study aimed to investigate the evaluation methods of VMSI considering frequency characteristics by comparing the image quality of 70keV VMSI with that of conventional 120kVp images. The evaluated object contrasts were 70 and 300 Hounsfield units (HU). Scans used two radiation dose levels: low (LD) and standard (SD). The volume CT dose index of LD and SD was 4.8- and 12mGy, respectively. Images were reconstructed by filtered back projection, evaluating CNR, noise power spectrum (NPS), task transfer function (TTF), and system performance (SP) function calculated as TTF2/ NPS. The total NPS values (spatial frequency range: 0.2 ~ 0.4mm-1) of 70keV VMSI were higher than those of 120kVp images. The spatial frequency TTF values that reached 10% (f10%) of the 70keV VMSI changed based on object contrast. For the low-contrast condition, a lower f10% was observed with 70keV VMSI. The CNR of 70keV VMSI was comparable to that of 120kVp images in low- and high-contrast conditions. However, for 70keV VMSI, SP of low-contrast was low, and SP of high-contrast was high, compared with those of 120kVp images. This study suggested that only CNR was not sufficient to evaluate the image quality of VMSI; thus, evaluation methods considering frequency characteristics should be used.