Photon-counting x-ray computed tomography with high spatial resolutions

Abstract

Photon-counting x-ray computed tomography (PCCT) is useful for selecting optimal energy photons to image various portions of the target object, and we performed fundamental experiments of PCCT to carry out gadolinium (Gd) K-edge CT using Gd-based contrast media. The scanner mainly consists of an x-ray generator with a 0.1-mm-focus tube, a turntable, a cadmium-telluride (CdTe) flat panel detector (FPD) with pixel dimensions of 100 Pm, and a personal computer. An object on the turntable is irradiated by the x-ray generator, 720 radiograms are taken using the FPD, and tomograms are reconstructed. We used 1.3-time magnification tomography, the effective pixel dimensions were approximately 80 Pm, and Gd-K-edge CT was carried out using Gd-based contrast media at a tube voltage of 100 kV, a tube current of 0.40 mA, and a threshold energy of 50 keV.