WE‐AB‐207A‐07: A Planning CT‐Guided Scatter Artifact Correction Method for CBCT Images

摘要

Purpose: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging is on increasing demand for high‐performance image‐guided radiotherapy such as online tumor delineation and dose calculation. However, the current CBCT imaging has severe scatter artifacts and its current clinical application is therefore limited to patient setup based mainly on the bony structures. This study's purpose is to develop a CBCT artifact correction method. Methods: The proposed scatter correction method utilizes the planning CT to improve CBCT image quality. First, an image registration is used to match the planning CT with the CBCT to reduce the geometry difference between the two images. Then, the planning CT‐based prior information is entered into the Bayesian deconvolution framework to iteratively perform a scatter artifact correction for the CBCT mages. This technique was evaluated using Catphan phantoms with multiple inserts. Contrast‐to‐noise ratios (CNR) and signal‐to‐noise ratios (SNR), and the image spatial nonuniformity (ISN) in selected volume of interests (VOIs) were calculated to assess the proposed correction method. Results: Post scatter correction, the CNR increased by a factor of 1.96, 3.22, 3.20, 3.46, 3.44, 1.97 and 1.65, and the SNR increased by a factor 1.05, 2.09, 1.71, 3.95, 2.52, 1.54 and 1.84 for the Air, PMP, LDPE, Polystryrene, Acrylic, Delrin and Teflon inserts, respectively. The ISN decreased from 21.1% to 4.7% in the corrected images. All values of CNR, SNR and ISN in the corrected CBCT image were much closer to those in the planning CT images. The results demonstrated that the proposed method reduces the relevant artifacts and recovers CT numbers. Conclusion: We have developed a novel CBCT artifact correction method based on CT image, and demonstrated that the proposed CT‐guided correction method could significantly reduce scatter artifacts and improve the image quality. This method has great potential to correct CBCT images allowing its use in adaptive radiotherapy.