X-ray attenuation of adipose breast tissue: in-vitro and in-vivo measurements using spectral imaging

TL;DR

This study measures the x-ray attenuation of adipose breast tissue both in-vitro and in-vivo using spectral imaging, providing valuable data for developing advanced breast imaging techniques.

Contribution

It offers the first combined in-vitro and in-vivo spectral imaging measurements of adipose breast tissue attenuation, aligning with existing data.

Findings

In-vitro and in-vivo measurements agree well

Results are consistent with published data

Provides detailed energy-dependent attenuation data

Abstract

The development of new x-ray imaging techniques often requires prior knowledge of tissue attenuation, but the sources of such information are sparse. We have measured the attenuation of adipose breast tissue using spectral imaging, in vitro and in vivo. For the in-vitro measurement, fixed samples of adipose breast tissue were imaged on a spectral mammography system, and the energy-dependent x-ray attenuation was measured in terms of equivalent thicknesses of aluminum and poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA). For the in-vivo measurement, a similar procedure was applied on a number of spectral screening mammograms. The results of the two measurements agreed well and were consistent with published attenuation data and with measurements on tissue-equivalent material.