Validating computer applications for calculating spatial resolution and noise property in CT using simulated images with known properties.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate, using simulated images with known property values, how accurately some computer applications for calculating modulation transfer function (MTF), task transfer function (TTF), or noise power spectrum (NPS) in computed tomography (CT) based on widely known techniques produce their results. Specifically, they were three applications applicable to the wire method for MTF calculation, two applications corresponding to the circular edge (CE) and linear edge (LE) methods for TTF, and one application using a two-dimensional Fourier transform for NPS, which are collectively integrated with the software 'CTmeasure' provided by the Japanese Society of CT Technology. Images for the calculation with radial symmetry were generated based on a roll-off type filter function. The accuracy of each application was evaluated by comparing the calculated property with the true one. The calculated MTFs for the wire method accurately matched the true ones with percentage errors of smaller than 1.0%. In contrast, the CE and LE methods presented relatively large errors of up to 50% at high frequencies, whereas the NPS's errors were up to 30%. A closer investigation revealed, however, that these errors were attributable not to the applications but to the insufficiencies in the measurement techniques commonly employed. By improving the measurement conditions to minimize the effects of the insufficiencies, the errors notably decreased, whichvalidated the calculation techniques in the applications we used.