Thin film phantoms and phantom systems

Abstract

Phantoms for testing and measuring the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and x-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging systems have regions of precisely controlled magnetic resonance and x-ray absorption imaging properties. These regions contain subresolvable regions, or distinct micro regions, with pre-selected magnetic resonance or x-ray absorption properties, called scatterers. The regions are precisely positioned so as to define patterns which form images from which the performance of the imaging system can be evaluated to assure the quality of the images. The phantoms can reveal the combined influences of all the stages in the imaging chain in terms of modulation transfer function and resolution limits as well as other artifacts and defects in the system such as aliasing and degraded spatial frequency response which cannot be evaluated with conventional phantoms. The subresolution scattering regions may be formed by printing them on a thin film sheet or substrate using photo lithography, electrostatic xerographic printing or etching; the toner particles or deposited material forming the scatterers being sub-resolvable in size. Half-tone masks, such as blue noise masks, may be used to produce regions of precisely controlled sub-resolvable scatterers to be used for grey scale evaluation of the imaging system by producing images of different image density. The thin film sheets are thinner than the thickness of the x-ray CT beam or the MRI slice thickness excitation. The thin film sheets may be displaced, as by being vibrated. The sheets may be made of piezoelectric material having electrodes across which varying electrical signals are applied to displace the sheets thereby simulating movement of objects for Doppler measurements. Similar phantoms are used for testing and measuring the performance of ultrasonic imaging systems.

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