Dual-energy bone densitometry using a single 100 ns x-ray pulse

Abstract

A pulsed, portable hard x-ray source has been developed for medical imaging and flash x-ray absorptiometry. The source is powered by a Marx generator that drives a field emission x-ray tube which produces a 30-300 keV x-ray pulse of 100 ns duration. The x-ray fluence has dual-energy properties. The x-ray energy is relatively high early in the pulse and lower later in the pulse. The feasibility of using a single x-ray pulse for precision bone densitometry was analyzed. A computer simulation model was developed for the x-ray source, the filtration that enhances the dual-energy distribution, the absorption of the energy distribution by bone mineral and soft tissue, and the dual-energy detection system. It is feasible to determine the bone mineral density (BMD) of axial sites such as the lumbar spine and proximal femur with 2% precision over an area that is 15-20 mm in size, depending on the bone mineral and soft tissue thicknesses. An algorithm for determining the absolute BMD, to an accuracy of 2%, using a Plexiglas(TM)/TiO2 calibration phantom is discussed. At a distance of 50 cm from the source, the patient exposure is 3.7 mR. The average absorbed bone and tissue doses are 0.6 and 4.3 mrem, respectively. Factors that facilitate diagnostic measurements in clinical settings are the short patient observation time and the portability of the x-ray source.