Development of a photon counting detector response model using multiple transmission spectra

Abstract

Photon counting x-ray detectors (PCD) offer a great potential for energy-resolved imaging that would allow for promising applications such as low-dose imaging, quantitative contrast-enhanced imaging, as well as spectral tissue decomposition. However, physical processes in photon counting detectors produce undesirable effects like charge sharing and pulse-pile up that can adversely affect the imaging application. Existing detector response models for photon counting detectors have mainly used either X-ray fluorescence imaging or radionuclides to calibrate their detector and estimate the model parameters. The purpose of our work was to apply one such model to our photon counting detector and to determine the model parameters from transmission measurements. This model uses a polynomial fit to model the charge sharing response and energy resolution of the detector as well as an Aluminum filter to model the modification of the spectrum by the X-ray. Our experimental setup includes a Si-based photon counting detector to generate transmission spectra from multiple materials at varying thicknesses. Materials were selected so as to exhibit k-edges within the 15-35 keV region. We find that transmission measurements can be used to successfully model the detector response. Ultimately, this approach could be used for practical detector energy calibration. A fully validated detector response model will allow for exploration of imaging applications for a given detector.