ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 2 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 3 Why CT? Conventional radiography suffers from the collapsing of 3D structures onto a 2D image
Although resolution is lower in CT, it has extremely good low contrast resolution, enabling the detection of very small changes in tissue type
CT gives accurate diagnostic information about the distribution of structures inside the body
ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 4 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 5 Construction of a CT scanner Whizzo CT Company x-ray tube x-ray detectors slip rings ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 6 TUBE DETECTORS APERTURE In practice ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 7 ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 8 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 9 Data acquisition X-ray tube Slice width Fan beam Detectors Collimators X-ray emission in all directions ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 10 What are we measuring? The average linear attenuation coefficient, , between tube and detectors Attenuation coefficient reflects the degree to which the x-ray intensity is reduced by a material x-ray tube detector attenuation ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 11 Projections 2D views - projections at angles all the way round the patient sample at each detector to generate a projection rotate tube and detectors a small amount and repeat the measurements a t t e n u a t i o n
detector ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 12 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 13 Back projection Reverse the process of measurement of projection data to reconstruct an image Each projection is smeared back across the reconstructed image
ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 14 Back projection 2 projections 4 projections 8 projections 16 projections 32 projections Original object ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 15 Filtered back projection Back projection produces blurred trans- axial images Projection data needs to be filtered before reconstruction Different filters can be applied for different diagnostic purposes Smoother filters for viewing soft tissue Sharp filters for high resolution imaging Back projection process same as before ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 16 Filtered back projection Filter applied to projection data -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 0 2 4 6 8 10 Frequency (lp/cm) A m p l i f i c a t i o n smooth sharp ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 17 Filtered back projection 16 projections 4 projections 2 projections 8 projections 64 projections 64 projections (not filtered) ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 18 Filtered back projection original back projected image filtered back projected image Profile Filtered profile ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 19 m to CT number Originally measured was the distribution of m
m values are scaled to that of water to give the CT number m tissue - m water
CT number =
x 1000
m water
Water = 0; Air = -1000; Bone = ~1000 ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 20 CT number flexibility We can change the appearance of the image by varying the window width and level
This spreads a small range of CT numbers over a large range of grayscale values
This makes it easy to detect very small changes in CT number ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 21 CT number window Same image data at different WL and WW
WL -593, WW 529 WL -12, WW 400 -1000 HU 4000+ HU WW WL 0 HU -1000 HU 4000+ HU WW WL ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 22 CT image Slice Width Picture Element (PIXEL) 512 PIXELS Volume Element (VOXEL) ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 23 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 24 Scanner generation 3rd generation
4th generation ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 25 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 26 Detector type Pressurised xenon gas
Ionisation
Signal Scintillation
Photon capture
Light
Photo-diode
Signal XENON SOLID STATE ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 27 Xenon detectors _ + Xenon Atom X-ray Electrical signal Negative electron Positive xenon ion + - ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 28 Electrical signal Ceramic scintillators Scintillator Photo-diode Visible photon X-ray ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 29
Xenon - Single detector chamber sub-divided by electrodes
Solid state - Detector array made up of individual elements
Xenon vs. solid state ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 30 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 31 Lower range scanners: 400 - 600 detectors
Top range scanners: 650 - 900 detectors (per row) Typically, for 3rd generation scanners: Number of detectors ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 32 Lower range scanners: 600 - 1000 per image
Top range scanners: 1100 - 1800 per image Number of projections ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 33 Basic principles of CT scanning Basic theory of CT Whats inside the gantry? Data acquisition Image reconstruction Variations in scanner design Generation Detector type Number of projections and detectors Slip-ring scanning ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 34 Conventional CT Systems Power to X-Ray Tube via Cord
Scan CW and CCW to Wind/Unwind Cord Tube Rotates Around Stationary Patient (Table Position is Incremented Between Acquisitions) Interscan Delays: 3.5 Seconds Between Slices ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 35 Power supply
Projection data Slip ring scanning Slip Rings Slip-rings ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 37 Low voltage AC mains Low voltage slip ring High voltage generator X-ray tube High voltage AC mains High voltage generator High voltage slip ring X-ray tube High voltage v low voltage slip rings ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 38 Faster conventional axial scanning (stepwise table feed) Interscan delay governed only by time taken for table to move to new position (~ 1 sec.) Advantages of slip ring scanners ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 39 Cine scanning (no table feed) continuous series of images at one position
CT fluoroscopy new image reconstructed several times during one rotation Advantages of slip ring scanners Spiral scanning (continuous table feed)
ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 40 Spiral (Helical) CT Systems
Power to X-ray Tube via Slip Ring - Allows Continuous Rotation, No InterScan Delays Table Moves as Tube Rotates Synthesizing Projection Data via Interpolation ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 41 0 z, mm t, sec Direction of Continuous Patient Transport Center of Spiral Path Width of Spiral Path (From Collimation) Pitch=1; Contiguous Spiral ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 42 0 z, mm t, sec Center of Image Width of Image (From Collimation) Contiguous Reconstruction - No Overlap Image Number 1 2 3 ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 43 0 z, mm t, sec Direction of Continuous Patient Transport Center of Spiral Path Width of Spiral Path (From Collimation) Pitch=2; Extended Spiral ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 44 0 z, mm t, sec Overlapping Reconstruction - 50% Overlap Image Number 1 2 3 ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 45 Image Formation u Collect Projection Data u These Data are NOT all at same table position, so: u Synthesize a set of Planar Projection Data via Interpolation (interpolate between views taken at same projection angle, but different table positions), then u Use Filtered Back Projection on Synthesized Planar Data ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 46 Selected Image Plane (Arbitrary) Path of Continuously Rotating X-ray Tube (and Projection Data) 0 z, mm t, sec Direction of Continuous Patient Transport ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 47 Selected Image Plane (Arbitrary) Path of Continuously Rotating X-ray Tube (and Projection Data) 0 z, mm t, sec Direction of Continuous Patient Transport ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 48 Image Formation u Because a VOLUME of Data is Acquired and Interpolation is used, Images can be formed ANYWHERE --> Slice Location is Arbitrary
u Therefore, Overlapping Images can be created (e.g. 10 mm thick, 5 mm apart).
u Slice Thickness Is Determined by Collimation
ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 49 Index Index = Interval at which images are reconstructed (e.g. image collimation of 10 mm with index of 5 mm means that images are reconstructed every 5 mm).
% Overlap = Percent of image that overlaps with adjacent image. (e.g. 10 mm collimation with 5 mm reconstruction interval is a 50% overlap). ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 50 Data Acquisition
Pitch = Table Movement per Rotation X-ray Beam Collimation Contiguous Spiral Pitch = 1 (10 mm / 10 mm) Extended (Non-Contiguous) Spiral Pitch = 2 (20 mm/ 10 mm) Overlapping Spiral Pitch = 1/2 ( 5 mm / 10 mm) ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 51 Spiral CT - Differences From Axial Image Quality (Assuming 180 reconstruction algorithm): Effective Slice Thickness Increases with Pitch (~10% increase for pitch 1; ~ 30% for pitch 2; ~ 70% for pitch 3) Hence volume averaging increases with pitch Noise is greater than Conventional Axial under same conditions, but does not change with pitch ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 52 Spiral CT - Differences From Axial Radiation Dose:
For Pitch of 1 ~ Same as Comparable Contiguous Conventional Scans For Pitch 1.5 - Approximately 2/3 that of Contiguous Scans For Pitch 2 - Approximately 1/2 of Contiguous Scans
Radiation Dose Proportional to 1/pitch ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 53 Spiral CT Systems System Requirements: High Heat Unit Capacity Tube to Sustain Continuous Scanning- Now 5 and 6 Million Heat Units Faster Rotation Times to Get Through a Volume Even Quicker; < 0.5 second rotation times available Faster Data Transfer Systems to Get Data From DAS - Fiber Optics Faster Computers to Reconstruct - 0.1 to 0.5 seconds per image
ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 54 Spiral CT Systems Advantages over Conventional:
Faster Acquisition
Follow Contrast Quicker
Begin to Image Physiology/Angiography
Reduce Breathing Artifacts/Misregistration ImPACT Day: 23rd July 2002 - Basic Principles of CT Scanning 55 Spiral CT Systems Limitations: Motion Blurring (Effective Slice is Thicker)
