Title :
Breast cancer calcification measurements using direct X-ray detection in a monolithic silicon pixel detector
Author :
Parker, Sherwood I. ; Kenney, Christopher J. ; Peterson, Vincent Z. ; Ikeda, Debra M. ; Backus, Frances A. ; Snoeys, Walter J. ; Aw, Chye Huat
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys., Hawaii Univ., Honolulu, HI, USA
Abstract :
A prototype monolithic silicon pixel detector, developed for high-precision tracking at the Superconducting Super Collider, has been used to measure, by direct detection of X-rays, aluminum oxide grains from an accreditation phantom, and calcifications from a tissue sample including a calcification with a width of 100 /spl mu/m (about half the diameter of the smallest ones normally seen in clinical practice). A computer model indicates that a future sensor, using the same basic structure but optimized for mammography, has the potential of improving upon the abilities of scintillator-film and scintillator-CCD systems by observing individual X-rays, thus allowing the possibility of combining high resolution digital information from more than one viewing angle or X-ray energy.<>
Keywords :
X-ray detection; application specific integrated circuits; biomedical electronics; diagnostic radiography; 100 mum; X-ray energy; accreditation phantom; aluminum oxide grains; breast cancer calcification measurements; computer model; direct X-ray detection; high resolution digital information; high-precision tracking; mammography; medical diagnostic technique; monolithic silicon pixel detector; tissue sample; viewing angle; Accreditation; Aluminum oxide; Breast cancer; Imaging phantoms; Mammography; Prototypes; Sensor systems; Silicon; X-ray detection; X-ray detectors;
Journal_Title :
Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on
