CN111157560B - X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective imaging method - Google Patents

X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective imaging method Download PDF

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CN111157560B
CN111157560B CN201911354476.4A CN201911354476A CN111157560B CN 111157560 B CN111157560 B CN 111157560B CN 201911354476 A CN201911354476 A CN 201911354476A CN 111157560 B CN111157560 B CN 111157560B
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fluorescence
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CN111157560A (en
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李亮
陈志强
张丽
赵自然
邢宇翔
高河伟
方伟
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Tsinghua University
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    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N23/00Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00
    • G01N23/22Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00 by measuring secondary emission from the material
    • G01N23/223Investigating or analysing materials by the use of wave or particle radiation, e.g. X-rays or neutrons, not covered by groups G01N3/00 – G01N17/00, G01N21/00 or G01N22/00 by measuring secondary emission from the material by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61BDIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B6/00Apparatus for radiation diagnosis, e.g. combined with radiation therapy equipment
    • A61B6/48Diagnostic techniques
    • A61B6/485Diagnostic techniques involving fluorescence X-ray imaging
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N2223/00Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation
    • G01N2223/07Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation secondary emission
    • G01N2223/076X-ray fluorescence

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluoroscopy imaging method with enhanced X-ray fluorescence, belonging to the technical field of radiation imaging. The method adopts the traditional X-ray fluoroscopy imaging; the X-ray imaging method is used for carrying out X-ray scanning imaging on objects such as a human body and the like, acquiring attenuation information of an X-ray beam after the X-ray beam passes through the scanned object, acquiring characteristic X photons generated by exciting certain high-Z elements in the object by irradiating the X-ray beam, and acquiring an X-ray perspective image and an X-ray fluorescence image. The X-ray fluoroscopy can provide object structure information with high spatial resolution, and the X-ray fluorescence can realize high-sensitivity concentration distribution imaging aiming at specific elements (certain specific high-Z elements, such as targeted drugs containing iodine, gadolinium, gold and the like), and realize fusion imaging of two different modality images through an image fusion technology. Therefore, the imaging device of the invention can provide high-quality multi-modal information images for the fields of clinical medicine, security check and the like.

Description

X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective imaging method
Technical Field
The invention relates to a fluoroscopy imaging method with enhanced X-ray fluorescence, belonging to the technical field of radiation imaging.
Background
The X-ray fluoroscopic imaging technology has been successful in many fields such as clinical medicine, security inspection, industrial nondestructive testing, etc., but the basic principle of the conventional X-ray fluoroscopic imaging is to utilize the penetration capability of the X-ray beam emitted by the X-ray source to the object, and perform fluoroscopic imaging on the object from a certain angle by means of ray scanning or a large-area array detector to obtain a two-dimensional fluoroscopic image of the object, where each pixel in the image represents the intensity of the X-ray absorption of all points of the object passing through the corresponding X-ray path. Since the X-ray path may pass through a plurality of different materials or tissue organs, the X-ray fluoroscopic imaging has a problem that the materials or tissue organs overlap one another, which affects the accuracy of the examination. For example, the chest X-ray is one of the necessary items for physical examination in China, and is a main screening means for lung cancer, but the detection rate of the chest X-ray for early lung cancer is not high, mainly because the lesion of the early lung cancer is not obvious, the difference of the absorption of the lung cancer on X-rays is not large compared with that of healthy lung tissues, and due to the overlapping influence of tissues such as muscles, ribs and the like around the chest, the chest X-ray cannot be effectively and correctly diagnosed for early cancer.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to provide an X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective imaging method, which improves the existing X-ray perspective method for disease diagnosis, utilizes an X-ray beam with certain energy to irradiate an object, excites certain high-Z elements in the object to generate fluorescence photons with specific energy to be emitted out and detected by the outside, and provides more targeted image information for the application of disease diagnosis, safety inspection, industrial nondestructive detection and the like.
The invention provides an X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective imaging method, which comprises the following steps:
(1) the method comprises the following steps of collecting a signal I generated by an X-ray emitted by an X-ray source 1 placed in front of an object after the X-ray passes through the object along a straight line and then enters a perspective detector:
Figure BDA0002335523420000011
wherein Q (E) represents the energy response function of the perspective detector, l represents the path of the X-ray through the object, and I0(E) Represents the X-ray beam energy spectrum of the X-ray source,
Figure BDA0002335523420000021
representing any point within the object
Figure BDA00023355234200000222
The attenuation coefficient of X-ray related to the X-ray energy is an intermediate variable;
(2) after X-rays emitted by an X-ray source 1 arranged in front of an object pass through the object along a straight line, fluorescence photons are excited in the object to generate, and a signal I generated after the fluorescence photons are incident on a fluorescence detector on the side surface of the object is collectedXRFD
Figure BDA0002335523420000022
Figure BDA0002335523420000023
Figure BDA0002335523420000024
Wherein the content of the first and second substances,
Figure BDA0002335523420000025
indicating a specific point within the object within which a specific substance is located
Figure BDA0002335523420000026
Where the generated fluorescence is incident on the path of the fluorescence detector, Ang is the solid angle at which the fluorescence detector collects the fluorescence signal,
Figure BDA0002335523420000027
representing any point within the object
Figure BDA0002335523420000028
The linear attenuation coefficient for fluorescence photons;
Figure BDA0002335523420000029
indicating a particular point within an object
Figure BDA00023355234200000210
The number of fluorescence photons generated, wherein,
Figure BDA00023355234200000211
indicating a particular point
Figure BDA00023355234200000212
The photoelectric absorption mass coefficient of the specific substance to X-ray, and omega represents specific point in the object
Figure BDA00023355234200000213
The yield of the fluorescence photons generated at the site,
Figure BDA00023355234200000214
is a specific point
Figure BDA00023355234200000215
Mass concentration of the specific substance of (1), EkRepresents the K-edge energy of the specific substance;
Figure BDA00023355234200000216
showing a beam of X-rays emitted by an X-ray source 1 placed in front of an object, incident on a particular point inside the object along a straight line
Figure BDA00023355234200000217
The X-ray energy spectrum of (a), which is an intermediate variable, wherein,
Figure BDA00023355234200000218
indicating the passage of X-rays emitted by the point of the X-ray source 1
Figure BDA00023355234200000219
The path of (2).
(3) Processing the signal generated in the fluoroscopy detector in the step (1) and the signal of the fluorescence detector in the step (2) to obtain an X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopy image, and the specific process is as follows:
(3-1) reducing the signal I generated in the fluoroscopy detector of the step (1) to the following formula:
Figure BDA00023355234200000220
wherein the content of the first and second substances,
Figure BDA00023355234200000221
representing the attenuation coefficient of equivalent line after weighting of X-ray energy spectrum as the quantity to be solved, I'0=∫I0(E)dE。
From the above equation, the integral value p of the equivalent line attenuation coefficient of the object along all the X-ray paths is calculatedlAnd obtaining X-ray perspective imaging:
Figure BDA0002335523420000031
(3-2) for fluorescence detection signals I generated on all X-ray paths in the step (2)XRFD,lSolid angle correction processing was performed:
Figure BDA0002335523420000032
(3-3) carrying out weighted superposition on the signals of the steps (3-1) and (3-2) to obtain an X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective image:
Xl=a·pl+b·I′XRFD,l
wherein a and b are respectively weighting coefficients with the value of 0-1.
The X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective imaging method provided by the invention has the advantages that:
the X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopic imaging method of the invention realizes the high spatial resolution structural imaging information of fluoroscopic imaging and the advantages of high sensitivity and high specificity of fluoroscopic imaging simultaneously in one-time scanning, can effectively overcome the defects of low image contrast and low specificity of the existing X-ray fluoroscopic imaging caused by thickness, can quickly realize X-ray bimodal imaging by using a non-radioactive drug with biospecificity in medical imaging, has great potential for screening diseases such as early lung cancer and the like, and has great potential and application value in the fields of biology, clinical medicine, security inspection and the like. Because each element corresponds to a unique X-ray fluorescence energy spectrum, accurate identification of different elements can be realized through collected fluorescence energy spectrum data, if the targeted drug contains the high-Z elements, X-ray fluorescence can be detected and excited at the same time of X-ray perspective imaging, so that the concentration distribution of the targeted drug is obtained, the existing X-ray perspective method for disease diagnosis is improved by combining X-ray perspective images, an X-ray beam with certain energy is utilized to irradiate an object, certain high-Z elements in the excited object generate fluorescence photons with specific energy to be emitted out and detected by the outside, and more targeted image information is provided for the application of disease diagnosis, safety inspection, industrial nondestructive detection and the like. The X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopic imaging method greatly improves the contrast and the sensitivity of the conventional X-ray fluoroscopic imaging, is suitable for engineering application in the fields of clinical medicine, security inspection and the like, and has great market application value.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopic imaging method proposed by the present invention.
FIG. 2 is simulation results of X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopic imaging proposed by the present invention, in which (a) is an X-ray fluoroscopic image, (b) is an X-ray fluoroscopic image, and (c) is an X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopic image.
In fig. 1, 1 is an X-ray source, 2 is a pen beam scanning collimator, 3 is an X-ray beam during scanning, 4 is a fluorescence detector, 5 is an object to be scanned, and 6 is a fluoroscopy detector.
Detailed Description
The principle schematic diagram of the fluoroscopy imaging method with the X-ray fluorescence enhancement provided by the invention is shown in figure 1, and the method comprises the following steps:
(1) the method comprises the following steps of acquiring a signal I generated by an X-ray 3 emitted by an X-ray source 1 placed in front of an object 5 and incident into a perspective detector 6 after the X-ray passes through the object along a straight line:
Figure BDA0002335523420000041
where Q (E) represents the energy response function of the fluoroscopy detector 6, l represents the path of the X-rays through the object, I0(E) Represents the X-ray beam energy spectrum of the X-ray source,
Figure BDA0002335523420000042
representing any point within the object
Figure BDA0002335523420000043
The attenuation coefficient of X-ray related to the X-ray energy is an intermediate variable;
(2) after X-rays emitted by an X-ray source 1 arranged in front of an object pass through the object along a straight line, fluorescence photons are excited in the object to generate, and a signal I generated after the fluorescence photons are incident on a fluorescence detector 4 on the side surface of the object is collectedXRFD
Figure BDA0002335523420000044
Figure BDA0002335523420000045
Figure BDA0002335523420000046
Wherein the content of the first and second substances,
Figure BDA0002335523420000047
indicating a specific point within the object within which a specific substance is located
Figure BDA0002335523420000048
Where the generated fluorescence is incident on the path of the fluorescence detector, Ang is the solid angle at which the fluorescence detector collects the fluorescence signal,
Figure BDA0002335523420000049
representing any point within the object
Figure BDA00023355234200000410
The linear attenuation coefficient for fluorescence photons; due to the large area of the fluorescence detector, the path exists within a solid angle Ang, and the fluorescence detector can be divided into small grids for separate calculation.
Figure BDA00023355234200000411
Indicating a particular point within an object
Figure BDA00023355234200000412
The number of fluorescence photons generated, wherein,
Figure BDA00023355234200000413
indicating a particular point
Figure BDA00023355234200000414
The photoelectric absorption mass coefficient of the specific foreign matter to X-ray is obtained from public data, and omega represents specific point in the object
Figure BDA00023355234200000415
The yield of the fluorescence photons generated (which may be approximated by a known constant, obtained from published data),
Figure BDA00023355234200000416
is a specific point
Figure BDA00023355234200000417
Of a specific substance (e.g. contrast agent containing iodine, gadolinium or gold), EkThe K-edge energy of the specific substance was obtained from the public.
Figure BDA0002335523420000051
Showing a beam of X-rays emitted by an X-ray source 1 placed in front of an object, incident on a particular point inside the object along a straight line
Figure BDA0002335523420000052
The X-ray energy spectrum of (a), which is an intermediate variable, wherein,
Figure BDA0002335523420000053
indicating the passage of X-rays emitted by the point of the X-ray source 1
Figure BDA0002335523420000054
The path of (2).
(3) Processing the signal generated in the fluoroscopy detector in the step (1) and the signal of the fluorescence detector in the step (2) to obtain an X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopy image, and the specific process is as follows:
(3-1) reducing the signal I generated in the fluoroscopy detector of the step (1) to the following formula:
Figure BDA0002335523420000055
wherein the content of the first and second substances,
Figure BDA0002335523420000056
representing the attenuation coefficient of equivalent line after weighting of X-ray energy spectrum as the quantity to be solved, I'0=∫I0(E)dE。
From the above equation, the integral value p of the equivalent line attenuation coefficient of the object along all the X-ray paths is calculatedlAnd obtaining X-ray perspective imaging:
Figure BDA0002335523420000057
(3-2) for fluorescence detection signals I generated on all X-ray paths in the step (2)XRFD,lSolid angle correction processing was performed:
Figure BDA0002335523420000058
(3-3) carrying out weighted superposition on the signals of the steps (3-1) and (3-2) to obtain an X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective image:
Xl=a·pl+b·I′XRFD,l
wherein, a and b are weighting coefficients respectively, and take values of 0-1, and in one embodiment of the invention, a and b are both 0.5.
An embodiment of the method of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a process utilizing the present inventionThe simulated X-ray fluorescence enhanced human chest X-ray imaging result simulates the injection of 3.8mg/cm with lower concentration at the focus part at the lower right corner of the lung of the human model3The gadolinium solution (a) is a conventional X-ray fluoroscopic image, and a lesion and the gadolinium solution are difficult to see on the image; (b) is an X-ray fluorescence image formed by fluorescence signals acquired by the detector for fluorescence imaging in figure 1, the focus part can be seen clearly, but other lung structures are not clear; (c) the fused image of the imaging of the two previous modalities not only contains relatively clear structural information of the traditional fluoroscopy, but also contains high sensitivity of X-ray fluorescence to a focus enhancement part. FIG. 2 is a good demonstration of the effectiveness of the method of the invention for disease diagnosis.

Claims (1)

1. A method of X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopic imaging, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:
(1) the method comprises the following steps of collecting a signal I generated by an X-ray emitted by an X-ray source (1) arranged in front of an object after the X-ray passes through the object along a straight line and then enters a perspective detector:
Figure FDA0002335523410000011
wherein Q (E) represents the energy response function of the perspective detector, l represents the path of the X-ray through the object, and I0(E) Representing the X-ray beam energy spectrum of the X-ray source,
Figure FDA0002335523410000012
representing any point within the object
Figure FDA0002335523410000013
The attenuation coefficient of X-ray related to the X-ray energy is an intermediate variable;
(2) after X-rays emitted by an X-ray source (1) arranged in front of an object pass through the object along a straight line, fluorescence photons are excited in the object to generate, and a signal I generated after the fluorescence photons are incident on a fluorescence detector on the side surface of the object is collectedXRFD
Figure FDA0002335523410000014
Figure FDA0002335523410000015
Figure FDA0002335523410000016
Wherein the content of the first and second substances,
Figure FDA0002335523410000017
indicating a specific point within the object within which a specific substance is located
Figure FDA0002335523410000018
Where the generated fluorescence is incident on the path of the fluorescence detector, Ang is the solid angle at which the fluorescence detector collects the fluorescence signal,
Figure FDA0002335523410000019
representing any point within the object
Figure FDA00023355234100000110
The linear attenuation coefficient for fluorescence photons;
Figure FDA00023355234100000111
indicating a particular point within an object
Figure FDA00023355234100000112
The number of fluorescence photons generated, wherein,
Figure FDA00023355234100000113
indicating a particular point
Figure FDA00023355234100000114
The photoelectric absorption mass coefficient of the specific substance to X-ray, and omega represents specific point in the object
Figure FDA00023355234100000115
The yield of the fluorescence photons generated at the site,
Figure FDA00023355234100000116
is a specific point
Figure FDA00023355234100000117
Mass concentration of the specific substance of (1), EkRepresents the K-edge energy of the specific substance;
Figure FDA00023355234100000118
showing that a beam of X-rays emitted by an X-ray source (1) placed in front of an object is incident on a specific point in the object along a straight line
Figure FDA00023355234100000119
The X-ray energy spectrum of (a), which is an intermediate variable, wherein,
Figure FDA00023355234100000120
representing the passage of X-rays emitted by the point of the X-ray source (1)
Figure FDA00023355234100000121
A path of (a);
(3) processing the signal generated in the fluoroscopy detector in the step (1) and the signal of the fluorescence detector in the step (2) to obtain an X-ray fluorescence enhanced fluoroscopy image, and the specific process is as follows:
(3-1) reducing the signal I generated in the fluoroscopy detector of the step (1) to the following formula:
Figure FDA0002335523410000021
wherein the content of the first and second substances,
Figure FDA0002335523410000022
representing the attenuation coefficient of equivalent line after weighting of X-ray energy spectrum as the quantity to be solved, I'0=∫I0(E)dE;
From the above equation, the integral value p of the equivalent line attenuation coefficient of the object along all the X-ray paths is calculatedlAnd obtaining X-ray perspective imaging:
Figure FDA0002335523410000023
(3-2) for fluorescence detection signals I generated on all X-ray paths in the step (2)XRFD,lSolid angle correction processing was performed:
Figure FDA0002335523410000024
(3-3) carrying out weighted superposition on the signals of the steps (3-1) and (3-2) to obtain an X-ray fluorescence enhanced perspective image:
Xl=a·pl+b·I′XRFD,l
wherein a and b are respectively weighting coefficients with the value of 0-1.
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CN107315019A (en) * 2017-07-25 2017-11-03 清华大学 Transmission of radiation and fluorescence CT imaging systems and imaging method

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