Effect of Different Materials of Scatterer on Mammographic X-ray Measured by Compton Spectroscopy

Abstract

Our purpose of this study is to discuss the effect of different scatterer (carbon or acrylic resin) on mammographic x-ray spectra measured by Compton spectroscopy using a high-resolution Schottky CdTe detector and to estimate the quality of these spectra compared with the spectra acquired by direct measurement. The shapes of the measured and reconstructed primary x-ray spectra were in good agreement with directly measured spectra except in the domain of the peak of the characteristic x-ray. The attenuation curves acquired from the reconstructed primary spectra of different scatterer (carbon or acrylic resin) actually measured by Compton spectroscopy with the 0.1 – 0.8 mm aluminum attenuators had HVLs with a maximum error of ∼29.2 % and ∼26.7 % compared with curves acquired from the dosemeter. However, we think that the difference of Compton effect with the different scatterer (carbon or acrylic resin) on mammographic x-ray spectra measured by Compton spectroscopy is small. Therefore, carbon or acrylic resin can be used for the scatterer of Compton spectroscopy.