Investigation of CdTe, GaAs, Se and Si as Sensor Materials for Mammography

IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2020 Dec;39(12):3766-3778. doi: 10.1109/TMI.2020.3004648. Epub 2020 Nov 30.

Abstract

Despite the benefits of mammography investigations, some studies have shown that X-ray exposure from the mammography screening itself can statistically cause breast cancer in a small fraction of women. Therefore, a dose reduction in mammography is desirable. At the same time, there is a demand for a higher spatial resolution in mammographic imaging. The most promising way to achieve these goals is the use of advanced photon-processing semiconductor X-ray detectors with optimum sensor materials. This study addresses the investigation of the optimum semiconductor sensor material for mammography in combination with the photon-processing detector Medipix3RX. The influence of K-shell fluorescence from the sensor material on the achievable contrast-to-noise ratio is investigated, as well as the attenuation efficiency. The three different sensor materials, CdTe, GaAs, and Si are studied, showing advances of CdTe-sensors for mammography. Furthermore, a comparison of the contrast-to-noise ratio between a clinical Se-detector and Medipix3RX detectors with Si- and CdTe-sensors is shown using a self-produced mammography phantom that is based on real human tissue.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arsenicals
  • Cadmium Compounds*
  • Female
  • Gallium
  • Humans
  • Mammography
  • Quantum Dots*
  • Tellurium

Substances

  • Arsenicals
  • Cadmium Compounds
  • gallium arsenide
  • Gallium
  • Tellurium
  • cadmium telluride