Validation and optimization of digital breast tomosynthesis reconstruction using an anthropomorphic software breast phantom

Predrag R. Bakic; Susan Ng; Peter Ringer; Ann-Katherine Carton; Emily F. Conant; Andrew D. A. Maidment

doi:10.1117/12.845299

18 March 2010 Validation and optimization of digital breast tomosynthesis reconstruction using an anthropomorphic software breast phantom

Predrag R. Bakic, Susan Ng, Peter Ringer, Ann-Katherine Carton, Emily F. Conant, Andrew D. A. Maidment

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7622, Medical Imaging 2010: Physics of Medical Imaging; 76220F (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.845299
Event: SPIE Medical Imaging, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

A digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) reconstruction algorithm has been optimized using an anthropomorphic software breast phantom. The algorithm was optimized in terms of preserving the x-ray attenuation coefficients of the simulated tissues. The appearance of the reconstructed images is controlled in the algorithm using three input parameters related to the reconstruction filter. We varied the input parameters to maximally preserve the attenuation information. The primary interest was to identify and to distinguish between adipose and non-adipose (dense) tissues. To that end, a software voxel phantom was used which included two distinct attenuation values of simulated breast tissues. The phantom allows for great flexibility in simulating breasts of various size, glandularity, and internal composition. Distinguishing between fatty and dense tissues was treated as a binary decision task quantified using ROC analysis. We defined the reconstruction geometry to enable voxel-to-voxel comparison between the original and reconstructed volumes. Separate histograms of the reconstructed pixels corresponding to simulated adipose and non-adipose tissues were computed. ROC curves were generated by varying the reconstructed intensity threshold; pixels above the threshold were classified as dense tissue. The input parameter space was searched to maximize the area under the ROC curve. The reconstructed phantom images optimized in this manner better preserve the tissue x-ray attenuation properties; concordant results are seen in clinical images. Use of the software phantom was successful and practical in this task-based optimization, providing ground truth information about the simulated tissues and providing flexibility in defining anatomical properties.

Citation Download Citation

Predrag R. Bakic, Susan Ng, Peter Ringer, Ann-Katherine Carton, Emily F. Conant, and Andrew D. A. Maidment "Validation and optimization of digital breast tomosynthesis reconstruction using an anthropomorphic software breast phantom", Proc. SPIE 7622, Medical Imaging 2010: Physics of Medical Imaging, 76220F (18 March 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.845299

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