Purpose: Advanced dosimetry in CT (e.g., the Monte Carlo method) requires an accurate characterization of the shaped filter and radiation quality used during a scan. The purpose of this work was to develop a method where half value layer (HVL) profiles along shaped filters could be made. From the HVL profiles, the beam shaping properties and effective photon spectrum for a particular scan can be inferred.
Methods: A measurement rig was developed to allow determinations of the HVL under a scatter-free narrow-beam geometry and constant focal spot to ionization chamber distance, for different fan angles. For each fan angle, the HVL is obtained by fitting the transmission of radiation through different thicknesses of an Al absorber (type 1100) using an appropriate model. The effective Al thickness of shaped filters and effective photon spectra are estimated using a model of photon emission from a Tungsten anode. This method is used to obtain the effective photon spectra and effective Al thickness of shaped filters for a CT scanner recently introduced to the market.
Results: This study resulted in a set of effective photon spectra (central ray) for each kVp along with effective Al thicknesses of the different shaped filters. The effective photon spectra and effective Al thicknesses of shaped filters were used to obtain numerically approximated HVL profiles and compared to measured HVL profiles (mean absolute percentage error = 0.02). The central axis HVL found in the vendor’s technical documentation were compared to approximated HVL values (mean absolute percentage error = 0.03).
Conclusion: This work has resulted in a unique method of measuring HVL profiles along shaped filters in CT. Further, the effective photon spectra and the effective Al thicknesses of shaped filters that were obtained can be incorporated into Monte Carlo simulations.