Image synthesis of monoenergetic CT image in dual-energy CT using kilovoltage CT with deep convolutional generative adversarial networks

Purpose To synthesize a dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) image from an equivalent kilovoltage computed tomography (kV-CT) image using a deep convolutional adversarial network. Methods A total of 18,084 images of 28 patients are categorized into training and test datasets. Monoenergetic CT images at 40, 70, and 140 keV and equivalent kV-CT images at 120 kVp are reconstructed via DECT and are defined as the reference images. An image prediction framework is created to generate monoenergetic computed tomography (CT) images from kV-CT images. The accuracy of the images generated by the CNN model is determined by evaluating the mean absolute error (MAE), mean square error (MSE), relative root mean square error (RMSE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), and mutual information between the synthesized and reference monochromatic CT images. Moreover, the pixel values between the synthetic and reference images are measured and compared using a manually drawn region of interest (ROI). Results The difference in the monoenergetic CT numbers of the ROIs between the synthetic and reference monoenergetic CT images is within the standard deviation values. The MAE, MSE, RMSE, and SSIM are the smallest for the image conversion of 120 kVp to 140 keV. The PSNR is the smallest and the MI is the largest for the synthetic 70 keV image. Conclusions The proposed model can act as a suitable alternative to the existing methods for the reconstruction of monoenergetic CT images in DECT from single-energy CT images.