Digital Breast Tomosynthesis imaging using compressed sensing based reconstruction for 10 radiation doses real data

Purpose: Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) has recently proved promising in producing three-dimensional (3D) images of a breast. Algebraic reconstruction technique (ART), which is one of the most frequently used iterative image reconstruction techniques, has been proposed to provide satisfactory images of the breast in detecting masses and micro-calcifications. However, the greatest limitation of DBT imaging is the level of radiation dose due to the very sensitive nature of the breast. Recently, the effect of total variation (TV) minimization to enhance the image quality and to reduce the noise has been investigated in DBT imaging. Studies dealing with 3D TV minimization with ART have attracted increasing attention in the field of image reconstruction. This work investigates if iterative reconstruction techniques applied without and with TV (ART and ART + TV_3D) can help reduce the level of dose in DBT imaging. Methods: Projections of a realistic breast phantom (CD Pasmam 1054) were acquired with a Siemens MAMMOMAT DBT scanner at 10 different doses. The effect of dose and the methods in the reconstruction quality was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: ART + TV_3D showed superior results in terms of visual assessment, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and full width at half maximum (FWHM) values, and one-dimensional (1D) profiles compared with ART. CNR values were evaluated for two different regions of interest (ROIs). For instance, CNR values of ROI-1 of ART and of ART + TV_3D were 46.380 and 47.675 at 63 mAs, 48.945 and 50.632 at 90 mAs, and 51.248 and 52.867 at 199 mAs, respectively. Additionally, FWHM values for ART and ART + TV_3D were 2.373 and 1.758 at 63 mAs, 1.930 and 1.467 at 90 mAs, and 1.591 and 1.223 at 199 mAs, respectively. Conclusions: The results suggested that a compressed sensing based iterative reconstruction method (ART + TV_3D) could help decrease the radiation dose level that is one of the most critical limitations of DBT imaging.