Effect of quantum iterative reconstruction on coronary stent assessment in ultra-high resolution photon-counting detector CT: a phantom study
Abstract
Objective: This study seeks to assess the impact of quantum iterative reconstruction (QIR) on objective measures of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), lumen diameter, and stent strut thickness using photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) in ultra-high resolution mode (UHR) in a coronary phantom.
Materials and methods: A three-dimensional printed phantom (four parallel vessels; 3 vessels with varying 3.5-mm stent types) was applied. Demineralized water, mixed with iodinated contrast, was circulated through the phantom by a dynamic pump. Images were acquired on a commercially available PCD-CT system using retrospective helical acquisition in UHR mode at both 120 and 140 kVp. Images were reconstructed at four QIR-levels (1‒4) using three sharp vascular kernels (Bv56u, Bv68u, and Bv76u). Quantitative evaluations of lumen diameter (mm) and stent strut thickness (mm) were assessed by attenuation profiles using an in-house MATLAB script.
Results: Increasing QIR level from 1 to 4 improved CNR from 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31‒1.70) (QIR-level 1) to 3.33 (95% CI: 2.89‒3.77) (QIR-level 4), p < 0.001. There was no change (QIR-level 1 to 4) in lumen diameter, range 2.95 mm (95% CI: 2.89‒3.02) to 2.97 mm (95% CI: 2.91‒3.03) (p = 0.890) or strut thickness, range 0.62 mm (95% CI: 0.59‒0.65) to 0.61 mm (95% CI: 0.58‒0.65 ((p = 0.870), regardless of contrast concentration or reconstruction kernel.
Conclusion: Increasing QIR-level in UHR mode PCD-CT in a stented coronary…
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