Clinical Translation of a One-Stop-Shop Imaging Method for Abdominal CT

ABSTRACT
CT imaging is one of the primary diagnostic tools utilized in modern radiology departments, and its importance
to modern medicine cannot be overstated. In recent years, spectral CT technologies have been developed to
address one of the long-standing technical limitations associated with conventional single-kV CT imaging:
anatomical structures with different material compositions may have the same CT number for a given acquisition.
Current spectral CT imaging systems have been implemented using advanced x-ray source and/or detector
technologies that enable image objects to be rapidly scanned using two distinct x-ray spectra. However, these
hardware-based spectral CT systems are not without their own intrinsic limitations. Such limitations include a
reduced field-of-view, slower scan speeds, misregistration between the high kV and low kV measurements in
dual source systems, lack of tube current modulation for many fast kV-switching systems, and having other
clinical workflow/efficiency challenges. In this application, we propose to implement and translate a novel single-
kV spectral CT imaging method for abdominal CT applications that overcomes the limitations associated with
current spectral CT imaging methods. With this new method, all conventional contrast-enhanced single-kV
abdominal CT exams can be used to generate a deluxe series of CT images with the desired spectral CT
functionalities including virtual non-contrast CT images, virtual mono-energetic CT images, and quantitative
material basis images (i.e., one-stop-shop). This new method enables an integrated clinical workflow to improve
clinical diagnostic accuracy while reducing both radiation dose and contrast dose to patients, all while reducing
overall healthcare costs. Three specific aims will be carried out to accomplish the overarching objective of this
project: 1) Implement and optimize techniques to achieve one-stop-shop single-kV spectral CT imaging for
abdominal applications; 2) Validate the proposed one-stop-shop single-kV spectral CT imaging method using
the hardware based spectral CT imaging methods; and 3) translate the one-stop-shop single-kV spectral CT
imaging method to the clinical environment for clinical performance evaluations. Upon the completion of this
project, a unique one-stop-shop CT imaging paradigm will have been implemented and translated to clinical
abdominal CT exams to enable one-stop-shop abdominal CT diagnoses with just a single-kV contrast-enhanced
CT acquisition. This new technique can be made available to all types of imaging facilities including community
hospitals or clinics in developing nations, which is in stark contrast to hardware dual-energy CT and photon
counting CT imaging which has been traditionally reserved to high profile academic medical centers that can
afford the latest technological platforms.

Grant Number: 5R01EB032374-04
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Guang-Hong Chen