抄録
The purpose of this study is to assess the potential usefulness of phase-contrast imaging for application to mammography. Phase-contrast images were obtained by using a customized mammography unit with a nominal focal spot size of 100μm, where the source-to-image distance was variable up to 1.5m. Edge enhancement in radiograph of a plastic fiber was first confirmed in phase-contrast imaging, and then reduction of the image contrast by scattered radiation from acrylics plates added onto the plastic fiber was measured. Moreover, edge enhancement in phase-contrast imaging was observed in the images of an air-cap, and an extracted lung-specimen in comparison with those images of contact radiography. Reduction of image contrast by scattered radiation from added acrylics plates was compared between phasecontrast imaging and contact radiography with the objects of chicken-meat and a raisin. The results indicated that the image contrast in phase-contrast imaging increased with edge enhancement, and that the reduction of image contrast in phasecontrast imaging was smaller than that in contact radiography, even if the thickness of added acrylics plates increased. It is therefore the phase-contrast imaging by using the customized mammography unit would be useful so as to improve the diagnostic accuracy in mammography.
