Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39876071›Full record

ArticleMedical physics2025

Scanning K-edge subtraction (SKES) imaging with laser-compton x-ray sources.

Trevor Reutershan, Christine V Nguyen, Haytham H Effarah, Eric C Nelson, Kyle D Chesnut, Christopher P J Barty

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Article in Medical physics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Trevor ReutershanDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Christine V NguyenDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Haytham H EffarahDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Eric C NelsonDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Kyle D ChesnutDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Christopher P J BartyDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.

Funding

MEDICAL SCIENTIST TRAINING PROGRAMT32GM008620 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI GOLDIN, ALAN L · 1999 to 2023
$8.1M
NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM008620NIH HHS T32GM008620
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundK-edge subtraction (KES) imaging is a dual-energy imaging technique that enhances contrast by subtracting images taken with x-rays that are above and below the K-edge energy of a specified contrast agent. The resulting reconstruction spatially identifies where the contrast agent accumulates, even when obscured by complex and heterogeneous distributions of human tissue. This method is most successful when x-ray sources are quasimonoenergetic and tunable, conditions that have traditionally only been met at synchrotrons. Laser-Compton x-ray sources (LCSs) are a compact alternative to synchrotron radiation with a quasimonoenergetic x-ray spectrum. One limitation in the clinical application of KES imaging with LCSs has been the extensive time required to tune the x-ray spectrum to two different energies. PURPOSE: We introduce an imaging technique called scanning K-edge subtraction (SKES) that leverages the angle-correlated laser-Compton x-ray spectrum in the setting of mammography. The feasibility and utility of this technique will be evaluated through a series of simulation studies. The goal of SKES imaging is to enable rapid K-edge subtraction imaging using a laser-Compton x-ray source. The technique does not rely on the time-consuming process of tuning laser-Compton interaction parameters.

methodsLaser-Compton interaction physics are modeled using conditions based on an X-band linear electron accelerator architecture currently under development using a combination of 3D particle tracking software and Mathematica. The resulting angle-correlated laser-Compton x-ray beam is propagated through digitally compressed breast phantoms containing iodine contrast-enhanced inserts and then to a digital flat-panel detector using a Matlab Monte Carlo propagation software. This scanning acquisition technique is compared to the direct energy tuning method (DET), as well as to a clinically available dual-energy contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) system.

resultsKES imaging in a scanning configuration using an LCS was able to generate a KES image of comparable quality to the direct energy tuning method. SKES was able to detect tumors with iodine contrast concentrations lower than what is clinically available today including lesions that are typically obscured by dense fibroglandular tissue. After normalizing to mean glandular dose, SKES is able to generate a KES image with equal contrast to CEM using only 3% of the dose.

conclusionsBy leveraging the unique quasimonochromatic and angle-correlated x-ray spectrum offered by LCSs, a contrast-enhanced subtraction image can be obtained with significantly more contrast and less dose compared to conventional systems, and improve tumor detection in patients with dense breast tissue. The scanning configuration of this technique could accelerate the clinical translation of this technology.

Indexed as

LasersMammographySubtraction TechniqueHumansPhantoms, ImagingX-Rayscontrast‐enhanced mammographydual‐energyK‐edge subtractionlaser‐Compton

Identifiers

PMID39876071
PMCPMC11972054

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.