Abstract: We explore three different alternatives for obtaining intrinsic and extrinsic parameters in conventional diagnostic X-ray frameworks: the direct linear transform (DLT), the Zhang method, and the Tsai approach. We analyze and describe the computational, operational, and mathematical background differences for these algorithms when they are applied to ordinary radiograph acquisition. For our study, we developed an initial 3D calibration frame with tin cross-shaped fiducials at specific locations. The three studied methods enable the derivation of projection matrices from 3D to 2D point correlations. We propose a set of metrics to compare the efficiency of each technique. One of these metrics consists of the calculation of the detector pixel density, which can be also included as part of the quality control sequence in general X-ray settings. The results show a clear superiority of the DLT approach, both in accuracy and operational suitability. We paid special attention to the Zhang calibration method. Although this technique has been extensively implemented in the field of computer vision, it has rarely been tested in depth in common radiograph production scenarios. Zhang's approach can operate on much simpler and more affordable 2D calibration frames, which were also tested in our research. We experimentally confirm that even three or four plane-image correspondences achieve accurate focal lengths.

Abstract: The paper is based on the data of the 2009 DEPFET beam test at CERN SPS. The beam test used beams of pions and electrons with energies between 40 and 120 GeV, and the sensors tested were prototypes with thickness of 450 μm and pixel pitch between 20 and 32 μm. Intrinsic resolutions of the detectors are calculated by disentangling the contributions of measurement errors and multiple scattering in tracking residuals. Properties of the intrinsic resolution estimates and factors that influence them are discussed. For the DEPFET detectors in the beam test, the calculation yields intrinsic resolutions of approximate to 1 μm, with a typical accuracy of 0.1 μm. Bias scan, angle scan, and energy scan are used as example studies to show that the intrinsic resolutions are a useful tool in studies of detector properties. With sufficiently precise telescopes, detailed resolution maps can be constructed and used to study and optimize detector performance.

Abstract: A high-resolution silicon detector probe, in coincidence with a conventional PET scanner, is expected to provide images of higher quality than those achievable using the scanner alone. Spatial resolution should improve due to the finer pixelization of the probe detector, while increased sensitivity in the probe vicinity is expected to decrease noise. A PET-probe prototype is being developed utilizing this principle. The system includes a probe consisting of ten layers of silicon detectors, each a 80 x 52 array of 1 x 1 x 1 mm(3) pixels, to be operated in coincidence with a modern clinical PET scanner. Detailed simulation studies of this system have been performed to assess the effect of the additional probe information on the quality of the reconstructed images. A grid of point sources was simulated to study the contribution of the probe to the system resolution at different locations over the field of view (FOV). A resolution phantom was used to demonstrate the effect on image resolution for two probe positions. A homogeneous source distribution with hot and cold regions was used to demonstrate that the localized improvement in resolution does not come at the expense of the overall quality of the image. Since the improvement is constrained to an area close to the probe, breast imaging is proposed as a potential application for the novel geometry. In this sense, a simplified breast phantom, adjacent to heart and torso compartments, was simulated and the effect of the probe on lesion detectability, through measurements of the local contrast recovery coefficient-to-noise ratio (CNR), was observed. The list-mode ML-EM algorithm was used for image reconstruction in all cases. As expected, the point spread function of the PET-probe system was found to be non-isotropic and vary with position, offering improvement in specific regions. Increase in resolution, of factors of up to 2, was observed in the region close to the probe. Images of the resolution phantom showed visible improvement in resolution when including the probe in the simulations. The image quality study demonstrated that contrast and spill-over ratio in other areas of the FOV were not sacrificed for this enhancement. The CNR study performed on the breast phantom indicates increased lesion detectability provided by the probe.