Optimization of computed tomography pulmonary angiography protocols using 3D printed model with simulation of pulmonary embolism

Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery
Sultan AldosariZhonghua Sun

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been shown to accurately replicate anatomical structures and pathologies in complex cardiovascular disease. Application of 3D printed models to simulate pulmonary arteries and pulmonary embolism (PE) could assist development of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) protocols with low radiation dose, however, this has not been studied in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate optimal CTPA protocols for detection of PE based on a 3D printed pulmonary model. A patient-specific 3D printed pulmonary artery model was generated with thrombus placed in both main pulmonary arteries to represent PE. The model was scanned with 128-slice dual-source CT with slice thickness of 1 and 0.5 mm reconstruction interval. The tube voltage was selected to range from 70, 80, 100 to 120 kVp, and pitch value from 0.9 to 2.2 and 3.2. Quantitative assessment of image quality in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was measured in the main pulmonary arteries and within the thrombus regions to determine the relationship between image quality and scanning protocols. Both two-dimensional (2D) and 3D virtual intravascular endoscopy (VIE) images were generated to demonstrate pulmonary artery and ...Continue Reading

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