[Performance evaluation for CT-AEC(CT automatic exposure control)systems].

Although many current CT scanners incorporate CT-AEC, performance evaluation is not standardized. This study evaluates the performance of the latest CT-AEC of each manufacturer with the aim of establishing a standard CT-AEC performance evaluation method. The design of the phantoms was based upon the operation characteristics of different CT-AECs. A cone, an ellipse, a variable-shaped ellipse, stepped phantoms, and their analysis software were devised and carried out the field test. The targets were LightSpeed VCT 64 with 2D and 3D Auto mA(GE), Aquilion 64M with Real-EC and Volume-EC(Toshiba), Sensation 64 with CARE Dose and CARE Dose 4D(Siemens), and Bulliance 16P with Dose Right(Philips). Data was acquired while varying the typical abdominal CT(with CT-AEC)scanning conditions (120 kV, 5 mm slice, standard function for abdomen, scanning range 200 mm). The acquired images were converted to the DICOM format and image noise(SD) was calculated using dedicated software. All 4 CT-AECs reduced exposure dose. For GE and Toshiba, image noise was constant and met the target. For Siemens, noise was independent of phantom shape but varied uniformly with phantom size. For Philips, noise varied with phantom size and shape, and variation degree depended on phantom thickness in scanogram direction. The results reflect the basic concept and performance characteristics of the methods. Standardization of CT-AEC performance evaluation is possible using these phantoms.