Determination of proton stopping power ratio with dual-energy CT in 3D-printed tissue/air cavity surrogates.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To study the accuracy with which proton stopping power ratio (SPR) can be determined with dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for small structures and bone-tissue-air interfaces like those found in the head or in the neck.

Methods

Hollow cylindrical polylactic acid (PLA) plugs (3 cm diameter, 5 cm height) were 3D printed containing either one or three septa with thicknesses t_septa  = 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, and 6.4 mm running along the length of the plug. The cylinders were inserted individually into a tissue-equivalent head phantom (16 cm diameter, 5 cm height). First, DECT scans were obtained using a Siemens SOMATOM Definition Edge CT scanner. Effective atomic number (Z_eff ) and electron density (ρ_e ) images were reconstructed from the DE

SUBMITTER: Polf JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6625856 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature