Program Information

Use of An Image-Based Material-Decomposition Algorithm for Multi-Energy CT to Determine Basis Material Densities

Z Li*, S Leng, L Yu, C McCollough, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Presentations

TU-F-18A-4 Tuesday 4:30PM - 6:00PM Room: 18A

Purpose:
Published methods for image-based material decomposition with multi-energy CT images have required the assumption of volume conservation or accurate knowledge of the x-ray spectra and detector response. The purpose of this work was to develop an image-based material-decomposition algorithm that can overcome these limitations.

Methods:
An image-based material decomposition algorithm was developed that requires only mass conservation (rather than volume conservation). With this method, using multi-energy CT measurements made with n=4 energy bins, the mass density of each basis material and of the mixture can be determined without knowledge of the tube spectra and detector response. A digital phantom containing 12 samples of mixtures from water, calcium, iron, and iodine was used in the simulation (Siemens DRASIM). The calibration was performed by using pure materials at each energy bin. The accuracy of the technique was evaluated in noise-free and noisy data under the assumption of an ideal photon-counting detector.

Results:.
Basis material densities can be estimated accurately by either theoretic calculation or calibration with known pure materials. The calibration approach requires no prior information about the spectra and detector response. Regression analysis of theoretical values versus estimated values results in excellent agreement for both noise-free and noisy data. For the calibration approach, the R-square values are 0.9960+/-0.0025 and 0.9476+/-0.0363 for noise-free and noisy data, respectively.

Conclusion:
From multi-energy CT images with n=4 energy bins, the developed image-based material decomposition method accurately estimated 4 basis material density (3 without k-edge and 1 with in the range of the simulated energy bins) even without any prior information about spectra and detector response. This method is applicable to mixtures of solutions and dissolvable materials, where volume conservation assumptions do not apply.

Funding Support, Disclosures, and Conflict of Interest: CHM receives research support from NIH and Siemens Healthcare.

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