Typical values of z-resolution for different Digital Breast Tomosynthesis systems evaluated in a multicenter study. in Physica medica : PM : an international journal devoted to the applications of physics to medicine and biology : official journal of the Italian Association of Biomedical Physics (AIFB) / Phys Med. 2024 Mar;119:103300. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2024.103300. Epub 2024 Feb 6.

2024
ASL Cuneo 1
ASL Cuneo 2
AOU Città della Salute di Torino
AOU Novara

Tipo pubblicazione

Multicenter Study

Autori/Collaboratori (51)Vedi tutti...

Ravaglia V
Medical Physics Unit, AUSL Romagna, Ravenna, Italy.
Campoleoni M
Medical Physics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Milano, Italy.
Berardi P
Medical Physics Unit, Azienda USL Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

et alii...

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study, conducted by a working group of the Italian Association of Medical Physics (AIFM), was to define typical z-resolution values for different digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) models to be used as a reference for quality control (QC). Currently, there are no typical values published in internationally agreed QC protocols. METHODS: To characterize the z-resolution of the DBT models, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the artifact spread function (ASF), a technical parameter that quantifies the signal intensity of a detail along reconstructed planes, was analyzed. Five different commercial phantoms, CIRS Model 011, CIRS Model 015, Modular DBT phantom, Pixmam 3-D, and Tomophan, were evaluated on reconstructed DBT images and 82 DBT systems (6 vendors, 9 models) in use at 39 centers in Italy were involved. RESULTS: The ASF was found to be dependent on the detail size, the DBT angular acquisition range, the reconstruction algorithm and applied image processing. In particular, a progressively greater signal spread was observed as the detail size increased and the acquisition angle decreased. However, a clear correlation between signal spread and angular range width was not observed due to the different signal reconstruction and image processing strategies implemented in the algorithms developed by the vendors studied. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis led to the identification of typical z-resolution values for different DBT model-phantom configurations that could be used as a reference during a QC program.

Accesso banca dati bibliografica

PMID : 38325222

DOI : 10.1016/j.ejmp.2024.103300

Keywords

Z-resolution; Quality control; Digital Breast Tomosynthesis; Artifacts; Algorithms; Artifact spread function; Phantoms, Imaging; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods; Mammography/methods;