Imaging characteristics of plastic scintillating fiber screens for mammography

Zhenxue Jing; Walter Huda; James K. Walker; Won Y. Choi

doi:10.1117/12.237827

11 April 1996 Imaging characteristics of plastic scintillating fiber screens for mammography

Zhenxue Jing, Walter Huda, James K. Walker, Won Y. Choi

Proceedings Volume 2708, Medical Imaging 1996: Physics of Medical Imaging; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.237827
Event: Medical Imaging 1996, 1996, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

A scanning slot digital mammography system using a plastic scintillating fiber screen (SFS) is currently being developed. To improve the x-ray interaction efficiency and absorption efficiency of an SFS, high Z elements can be added into the scintillating fiber core. In this paper, we investigate theoretically the zero spatial frequency detective quantum efficiency, DQE(0), and modulation transfer function, MTF(f), of three 2 cm thick SFSs made of polystyrene, polystyrene loaded with 5% by weight of lead, and polystyrene loaded with 10% by weight of tin scintillating fibers. X-ray interaction efficiency, scintillating light intensity distributions and line spread functions were generated using Monte Carlo simulation. DQE(0) and MTF(f) were computed for x-ray energies ranging from 15 to 50 keg. Loading high Z elements into the SFS markedly increased the DQE(0). For x-ray energies used for mammography, DQE(0) values of both high Z element loaded SFSs are about a factor of three higher than the DQE(0) of an Min-R screen. At mammographic x-ray energies, MTF(f) values of all three SFSs are greater than 50% at 25 lp/mm spatial frequency, and were found to be dominated by the 20 micrometer individual scintillating fiber diameter used. The results show that both high DQE(0) and spatial resolution can be achieved with the high Z element loaded SFSs, which make these SFS attractive for use in a scanning slot detector for digital mammography.

Citation Download Citation

Zhenxue Jing, Walter Huda, James K. Walker, and Won Y. Choi "Imaging characteristics of plastic scintillating fiber screens for mammography", Proc. SPIE 2708, Medical Imaging 1996: Physics of Medical Imaging, (11 April 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.237827

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available