Phantom-Free CT Calibration Using Homogeneous Human Tissues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current phantom-based calibration methods for CT scanners result in discrepancies between phantom and human tissue elemental compositions, leading to inaccurate relative proton stopping power calculations for proton therapy.
Innovation Solution
A phantom-free calibration method using homogeneous human tissues to calibrate CT scanners, employing a model to calculate spectral characteristic parameters and tissue parameters directly from CT scans, eliminating the need for phantoms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a phantom is used to calibrate the CT scanner, then the calibration process can be performed, but the elemental composition discrepancy between phantom and human tissue leads to inaccurate tissue parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the phantom from the calibration process entirely. Instead of using a phantom as a reference standard, the method directly scans human tissues and uses the known standard tissue parameters of these human tissues to calculate spectral characteristic parameters, thereby removing the source of elemental composition discrepancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses homogeneous human tissues as calibration samples. These tissues have known standard tissue parameters and serve as reference materials that match the elemental composition of human body tissues, ensuring consistency and accuracy in the calibration process without requiring phantoms.
2Reliability
If a phantom is used for calibration, then CT scanner can be calibrated, but the process becomes cumbersome and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the phantom component from the calibration system, simplifying the overall process. By directly scanning human tissues and using their known parameters, the method eliminates the complex phantom preparation, positioning, and scanning procedures while maintaining calibration reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration process becomes self-service by using the patient's own tissue as the calibration sample. The known standard tissue parameters of human tissues are directly applied to calculate spectral characteristic parameters, eliminating the need for external phantom references and reducing procedural complexity.
3Productivity
If phantom scanning is used, then calibration can be performed, but elemental composition differences cause large errors in tissue parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses homogeneous human tissues with known standard tissue parameters as calibration samples. These tissues have the same elemental composition characteristics as human body tissues, ensuring that the calculated spectral characteristic parameters accurately represent real tissue conditions and eliminate errors caused by phantom-tissue composition differences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the calibration reference from the phantom and applies it directly to human tissues. By using known standard tissue parameters of human tissues directly in the calculation model, the method eliminates the intermediary phantom step that caused elemental composition discrepancies and large errors in relative proton stopping power calculations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides more accurate tissue parameters for proton therapy by reducing errors in relative proton stopping power calculations, simplifying the calibration process and improving the accuracy of dose planning.
Implementation Method 1
scanning a plurality of homogeneous human tissues with a computerized tomography scanner and obtaining homogeneous human tissue scan information
Implementation Method 2
the spectral characteristic parameter includes a Rayleigh scattering coefficient and a photoelectric absorption coefficient
Implementation Method 3
the spectral characteristic parameter includes a Rayleigh scattering coefficient and a photoelectric absorption coefficient
Data Source
AI summary
A phantom-free calibration method for a computerized tomography scan has the steps of: scanning a plurality of homogeneous human tissues with a computerized tomography scanner and obtaining homogeneous human tissue scan information; scanning a tissue to be tested with the computerized tomography scanner and obtaining tissue to be tested scan information; calculating a spectral characteristic parameter of the computerized tomography scanner with a computing device using a model, wherein a standard tissue parameter of the homogeneous human tissues and the human tissue scan information are used in the model; and calculating a tissue parameter of the tissue to be tested with the computing device using the model, wherein the spectral characteristic parameter and the tissue to be tested scan information are inputted in the model. The phantom-free calibration method makes the tissue parameters of the tissue to be tested more accurate and the calibration process easier and more convenient.