New-Generation ASiR-V for Dose Reduction While Maintaining Image Quality in CT: A Phantom Study

Over the last few decades, the need to reduce and optimize patient medical radiation exposure has prompted the introduction of novel reconstruction algorithms in computed tomography (CT). Against this backdrop, the present study aimed to assess whether reduced radiation dose CT images reconstructed with the new-generation adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR-V) maintain the same image quality as that of routine image reconstruction. In addition, the optimization of image quality parameters for the ASiR-V algorithm (e.g., an optimal combination of blending percentage and noise index (NI)) was investigated. An abdominal reference phantom was imaged using the routine clinical protocol (fixed noise index of 18 and 40% ASiR reconstruction). Reduced radiation dose CT scans were performed with varying NI (22, 24, and 30) and using the ASiR-V reconstruction algorithm. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of image noise, contrast, and resolution were performed against NI and reconstruction blending percentages. Our results confirm the ability of the ASiR-V algorithm to provide images of high diagnostic quality while reducing the patient dose. All the parameters were improved in ASiR-V images as compared to ASiR. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that the best agreement was obtained for the images reconstructed using ASiR-V with NI24 and a high percentage of blending (70–100%). This preliminary study results show that ASiR-V allows for a significant reduction in patient dose (about 40%) while maintaining a good overall image quality when appropriate NI (i.e., 24) is used.