Cone-beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography (CB-XLCT) prototype development and performance evaluation

Yu-Hong Wang; David Shih-Chun Jin; Tian-Yu Wu; Chieh Shen; Jyh-Cheng Chen; Snow H Tseng; Tse-Ying Liu

doi:10.1088/1361-6560/ad1a25

Cone-beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography (CB-XLCT) prototype development and performance evaluation

Phys Med Biol. 2024 Jan 30;69(3). doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad1a25.

Authors

Yu-Hong Wang^{1

2}, David Shih-Chun Jin^{1

3}, Tian-Yu Wu⁴, Chieh Shen¹, Jyh-Cheng Chen^{1

5

6}, Snow H Tseng⁴, Tse-Ying Liu⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 112304 Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
² Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 112304 Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Department of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, 106344 Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University, 10617 Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
⁵ School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004 Xuzhou, People's Republic of China.
⁶ Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
⁷ Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, 112304 Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.

PMID: 38170992
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad1a25

Abstract

This study developed a prototype for a rotational cone-beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography (CB-XLCT) system, considering its potential application in pre-clinical theranostic imaging. A geometric calibration method applicable to both imaging chains (XL and CT) was also developed to enhance image quality. The results of systematic performance evaluations were presented to assess the feasibility of commercializing XLCT technology. Monte Carlo GATE simulation was performed to determine the optimal imaging conditions for nanophosphor particles (NPs) irradiated by 70 kV x-rays. We acquired a low-dose transmission x-ray tube and designed a prone positioning platform and a rotating gantry, using mice as targets from commercial small animalμ-CT systems. We then employed the image cross-correlation (ICC) automatic geometric calibration method to calibrate XL and CT images. The performance of the system was evaluated through a series of phantom experiments with a linearity of 0.99, and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between hydroxyl-apatite (HA) and based epoxy resin is 19.5. The XL images of the CB-XLCT prototype achieved a Dice similarity coefficient (DICE) of 0.149 for a distance of 1 mm between the two light sources. Finally, the final XLCT imaging results were demonstrated using the Letter phantoms with NPs. In summary, the CB-XLCT prototype developed in this study showed the potential to achieve high-quality imaging with acceptable radiation doses for small animals. The performance of CT images was comparable to current commercial machines, while the XL images exhibited promising results in phantom imaging, but further efforts are needed for biomedical applications.

Keywords: computed tomography; geometric calibration; low dose; performance evaluation; prototype; x-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT).

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Animals
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / methods
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted* / methods
Luminescence*
Mice
Phantoms, Imaging
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods
X-Rays