Characterization of prototype full-field breast tomosynthesis by using a CMOS array coupled with a columnar CsI(Tl) scintillator

Abstract

We have developed a prototype full-field digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) system by using a complementary-metal-oxide semiconductive (CMOS) array coupled with a columnar CsI(Tl) scintillator. The imaging system consists of a matrix with an active detector area of 3072 × 3888 pixels and a pixel pitch of 74.8 µm. For tomosynthesis imaging, the X-ray tube is automatically rotated in 3° increments in the shoot mode to acquire projection images at 15 different angles over a ±21° angular range in less than 10 s. The digital detector is stationary during image acquisition. In this research, we also carried out evaluation studies to characterize the performance of the system in different operational modes designed for the DBT system, e.g., binning mode and the range of view angles, in terms of the modulation transfer function (MTF), the normalized noise power spectra (NNPS), and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE): The MTF value measured at the Nyquist frequency was 18.49%, the NNPS value at zero frequency was about 1.93 × 10−5 (mm2), and the maximum value of DQE was about 47.09% for the full resolution. For the pixel binning mode, the MTF decreased more than it did for the full resolution mode due to the increased effective pixel size. However, the full resolution mode was more sensitive to noise than the pixel binning mode. For the scan angle of the DBT system, oblique incidence of X-rays on a detector caused blurring that reduced resolution. These results seem to be promising for the use of the DBT system in potential clinical applications and will provide important information when comparisons with other DBT systems are made.