Hsu Jessica C, Lau Kristen C, Barragan Diego, Mossburg Katherine J, Cormode David P, Maidment Andrew D A
Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
ACS Appl Nano Mater. 2024 Mar 8;7(5):4805-4813. doi: 10.1021/acsanm.3c05431. Epub 2024 Feb 28.
Photon-counting mammography is an emerging modality that allows for spectral imaging and provides a differentiation of material compositions. The development of photon-counting mammography-specific contrast agents has yet to be explored. In this study, the contrast, sensitivity, and organ dose between silver sulfide nanoparticles (AgS-NPs) and a clinically approved iodinated agent (iopamidol) were investigated using a contrast-embedded gradient ramp phantom and a prototype scanner. For a given agent, the signal intensity increased with concentration, tube voltage (kV), and high bin fraction, while remaining constant with the tube current exposure time product (mAs). Moreover, AgS-NPs produced significantly stronger contrast and improved sensitivity compared to iodine, especially when imaged at lower tube energies. Therefore, the use of photon-counting techniques and a silver-based contrast agent may markedly increase the contrast and contrast-to-noise ratios or reduce the radiation dose for contrast-enhanced mammography. Silver may be better suited than iodine for contrast agent development for spectral photon-counting mammography.
光子计数乳腺摄影是一种新兴的成像方式，它能够实现光谱成像并区分物质成分。目前尚未对光子计数乳腺摄影专用造影剂展开研究。在本研究中，使用对比剂嵌入梯度斜坡体模和一台原型扫描仪，对硫化银纳米颗粒（AgS-NPs）与一种临床批准的碘化剂（碘帕醇）之间的对比度、灵敏度和器官剂量进行了研究。对于给定的造影剂，信号强度随浓度、管电压（kV）和高计数区间分数增加而增加，而随管电流-曝光时间乘积（mAs）保持恒定。此外，与碘相比，AgS-NPs产生的对比度明显更强，灵敏度更高，尤其是在较低管能量下成像时。因此，使用光子计数技术和银基造影剂可能会显著提高对比度和对比噪声比，或者降低对比增强乳腺摄影的辐射剂量。在光谱光子计数乳腺摄影的造影剂开发方面，银可能比碘更适合。
