arXiv subjects

Luca Brombal

Publications and source records attributed to Luca Brombal.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Spectral micro-CT for quantitative analysis of calcification in fibrocartilage

This work introduces a quantitative method for assessing calcification in fibrocartilage using spectral micro-computed tomography ($\mu$CT). Tissue samples of hip acetabular labrum from patients with osteoarthritis and femoroacetabular impingement were imaged with a laboratory-based spectral $\mu$CT system equipped with a small-pixel photon-counting detector. The detector operated with two energy thresholds, allowing the simultaneous acquisition of two CT datasets at different X-ray energies. A material decomposition algorithm accounting for the system's spectral response was applied to separate calcium- and water-like components, yielding three-dimensional visualization and quantification of calcified regions within intact paraffin-embedded samples. Unlike the conventional method for calcification assessment based on histology, this spectral \mu CT approach offers volumetric quantification of calcium structures without physical sectioning or staining. The method achieved a voxel size of 20 $\mu$m for samples up to ~3 cm, with a calcium detection threshold of ~0.3 g/cm$^3$ for structures down to 50 $\mu$m. Quantification accuracy was estimated to be 5% by using a calibration phantom. Further comparison with histology demonstrated the correct localization of calcium spatial distributions and a match in the calcium crystal deposition score by providing non-destructive, quantitative 3D calcium maps of preserved tissue samples. This technique complements histology and could enhance the characterization of pathological fibrocartilage calcification in hip joint disorders.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2025

A response matrix determined with a coincidence-based acquisition for correction of charge sharing spectral distortions in energy-resolved photon counting detectors

A model-independent method is proposed to characterize and correct charge sharing spectral distortions in energy-resolved X-ray acquisitions with pixellated photon-counting detectors. The technique is based on the determination of a coincidence-based response matrix (CBRM) through a preliminary calibration with a uniform irradiation and an arbitrary polychromatic spectrum. The calibration requires the collection of the number of coincidences between a reference pixel and its neighbours for different combinations of energy bins, in order to calculate a set of charge sharing probabilities which are independent of the input spectrum. A detector response matrix is determined, which can afterwards be applied to correct other spectra acquired with the same detector and a conventional multi-comparator electronics, without introducing penalties in terms of processing time. The technique was validated with Geant4 simulations of a 1 mm thick CdTe detector and with data collected with a pixel hybrid detector made of a 300 um thick silicon sensor coupled to a Timepix4 ASIC chip. The differences between the reconstructed spectra and reference distributions of an ideal detector or a 3x3 offline clustering algorithm were evaluated in terms of mean absolute percentage errors. It is demonstrated that the response matrix can restore the spectral information with a performance close to standard clustering algorithms and is less affected by noise artifacts than analog charge summing techniques.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Advanced X-rays techniques for research-oriented high-resolution imaging of articular cartilage: a scoping review

Articular cartilage is a musculoskeletal soft tissue renowned for its unique mechanical properties. Understanding both its hierarchical structure and the interplay between its constituents could shed light on the mechanical competence of the tissue. Therefore, rheologic approaches based on high-resolution non-destructive imaging techniques are desired. In this context, X-ray imaging could ideally accomplish this task. Nevertheless, the nature of articular cartilage translates into poor contrast using conventional absorption modality. To overcome this limitation, several approaches can be embraced. X-ray visibility of articular cartilage can be increased with the use of radiopaque contrast agents. Therefore, further discrimination of structures could be provided by spectral techniques, pivoting on either multi-energy acquisitions or photon-counting technology. Alternatively, phase-contrast techniques unveil details typically undetected with conventional approaches. Phase-contrast imaging, based on the intrinsic decrement in the refractive index of the tissue, can be achieved with different configurations and implementations, including distinct X-ray sources and optical elements. Additionally, some phase-contrast techniques retrieve the small-angle scattering-based dark-field signal, relatable to sub-pixel structures. This scoping review aims to catalogue the application of these advanced X-ray techniques to articular cartilage imaging, following PRISMA guidelines. It discusses their advantages, limitations, and includes an overview of rheologic applications to articular cartilage.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2024

Comparison of three reconstruction algorithms for low-dose phase-contrast computed tomography of the breast with synchrotron radiation

Three different computed tomography (CT) reconstruction algorithms: Filtered Back Projection (FBP), Unified Tomographic Reconstruction (UTR) and customized Simultaneous Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (cSART), have been systematically compared and evaluated using experimental data from CT scans of ten fresh mastectomy samples collected at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron. All the scans were collected at the mean glandular dose of 2 mGy, using monochromatic X-rays with 32 keV energy, flat-panel detectors with 0.1 mm pixels and 6 meter distance between the rotation stage and the detector. Paganin's phase retrieval method was used in conjunction with all three CT reconstruction algorithms. The reconstructed images were compared in terms of the objective image quality characteristics, including spatial resolution, contrast, signal-to-noise, and contrast-to-noise ratios. The images were also evaluated by seven experienced medical imaging specialists, rating perceptible contrast, sharpness of tissue interfaces, image noise, calcification visibility and overall image quality. Of the three compared algorithms, cSART was clearly superior to UTR and FBP in terms of most measured objective image quality characteristics. At the same time, the results of the subjective quality evaluation consistently favoured the images reconstructed by FBP, followed by UTR, with cSART receiving lower scores on average. We argue that this apparent disagreement between the objective and subjective assessments of image quality can be explained by the importance assigned to image contrast in the subjective assessment, while the signal-to-noise ratio seemed to receive relatively low weighting. This study was conducted in preparation for phase-contrast breast CT imaging of live patients at Australian Synchrotron (Melbourne, Australia).

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2023

Characterization of breast tissues in density and effective atomic number basis via spectral X-ray computed tomography

Differentiation of breast tissues is challenging in X-ray imaging because tissues might share similar or even the same linear attenuation coefficients $\mu$. Spectral computed tomography (CT) allows for more quantitative characterization in terms of tissue density and effective atomic number by exploiting the energy dependence of $\mu$. In this work, 5 mastectomy samples and a phantom with inserts mimicking breast soft tissues were evaluated in a retrospective study. The samples were imaged at three monochromatic energy levels in the range of 24 - 38 keV at 5 mGy per scan using a propagation-based phase-contrast setup at SYRMEP beamline at the Italian national synchrotron Elettra. A custom-made algorithm incorporating CT reconstructions of an arbitrary number of spectral energy channels was developed to extract the density and effective atomic number of adipose, fibro-glandular, pure glandular, tumor, and skin from regions selected by a radiologist. Preliminary results suggest that, via spectral CT, it is possible to enhance tissue differentiation. It was found that adipose, fibro-glandular and tumorous tissues have average effective atomic numbers (5.94 $\pm$ 0.09, 7.03 $\pm$ 0.012, and 7.40 $\pm$ 0.10) and densities (0.90 $\pm$ 0.02, 0.96 $\pm$ 0.02, and 1.07 $\pm$ 0.03 g/cm$^{3}$) and can be better distinguished if both quantitative values are observed together.

physics.med-ph↗