Evaluation of the radiation dose in micro-CT with optimization of the scan protocol

Introduction Micro-CT provides non-invasive anatomic evaluation of small animals. Serial micro-CT measurements are, however, hampered by the severity of ionizing radiation doses cumulating over the total period of follow-up. The dose levels may be sufficient to influence experimental outcomes such as animal survival or tumor growth. Aim This study was designed to evaluate the radiation dose of micro-CT and to optimize the scanning protocol for longitudinal micro-CT scans. Methods and Materials Normal C57Bl/6 mice were euthanized. Radiation exposure was measured using individually calibrated lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). Thirteen TLDs were placed in the mice at the thyroid, lungs, liver, stomach, colon, bladder and near the spleen. Micro-CT (SkyScan 1178) was performed using two digital X-ray cameras which scanned over 180° at a resolution of 83 µm, a rotation step of 1.08°, 50 kV, 615 µA and 121 s image acquisition time. The TLDs were removed after each scan. CTDI100 was measured with a 100 mm ionization chamber, centrally positioned in a 2.7 cm diameter water phantom, and rotation steps were increased to reduce both scan time and radiation dose. Results Internal TLD analysis demonstrated median organ dose of 5.5 ± 0.6 mGy per mA s, confirmed by CTDI100 with result of 6.6 mGy per mA s. A rotation step of 2.16 resulted in qualitatively accurate images. At a resolution of 83 µm the scan time is reduced to 63 s with an estimated dose of 2.9 mGy per mA s. At 166 µm resolution, the scan time is limited to 27 s, with a concordant dose of 1.2 mGy per mA s. Conclusions The radiation dose of a standard micro-CT scan is relatively high and could influence the experimental outcome. We believe that the presented adaptation of the scan protocol allows for accurate imaging without the risk of interfering with the experimental outcome of the study. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.