X-ray tube current modulation and patient doses in chest CT

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate how patient effective doses vary as a function of X-ray tube projection angle, as well as the patient long axis, and quantify how X-ray tube current modulation affects patient doses in chest CT examinations. Chest examinations were simulated for a gantry CT scanner geometry with projections acquired for a beam width of 4 cm. PCXMC 2.0.1 was used to calculate patient effective doses at 15° intervals around the patient's isocentre, and at nine locations along the patient long axis. Idealised tube current modulation schemes were modelled as a function of the X-ray tube angle and the patient long axis. Tube current modulations were characterised by the modulation amplitude R, which was allowed to vary between 1.5 and 5. Effective dose maxima occur for anteroposterior projections at the location of the (radiosensitive) breasts. The maximum to minimum ratio of effective doses as a function of the patient long axis was 4.9, and as a function of the X-ray tube angle was 2.1. Doubling the value of R reduces effective doses from longitudinal modulation alone by ∼4% and from angular modulation alone by ∼2%. In chest CT, tube current modulation schemes currently have longitudinal R values of ∼2.2, and angular R values that range between 1.5 and 3.4. Current X-ray tube current modulation schemes are expected to reduce patient effective doses in chest CT examinations by ∼10%, with longitudinal modulation accounting for two-thirds and angular modulation for the remaining one-third.