Digital breast tomosynthesis is a new technique to improve the early detection of breast cancer by providing three-dimensional reconstruction volume of the object with limited-angle projection images. This paper investigated the image reconstruction with a standard biopsy training breast phantom using a novel multi-beam X-ray sources breast tomosynthesis system. Carbon nanotube technology based X-ray tubes were lined up along a parallel-imaging geometry to decrease the motion blur. Five representative reconstruction algorithms, including back projection (BP), filtered back projection (FBP), matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS), maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) and simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART), were investigated to evaluate the image reconstruction of the tomosynthesis system. Reconstructed images of the masses and micro-calcification clusters embedded in the phantom were studied. The evaluated multi-beam X-ray breast tomosynthesis system is able to generate three-dimensional information of the breast phantom with clearly-identified regions of the masses and calcifications. Future study will be done soon to further improve the imaging parameters' measurement and reconstruction.
Keywords: back projection (BP); carbon-nanotube; filtered back projection (FBP); mammography; matrix inversion tomosynthesis (MITS); maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM); simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART); tomosynthesis.