Sunday, February 1, 2026 2/1/2026

Diagnostic performance assessment and dose optimization using patient CT images: Application to deep-learning CT reconstruction and denoising technologies

Award Number: R01EB017095
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/20/2012
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Diagnostic performance assessment and dose optimization using patient CT images: Application to deep-learning CT reconstruction and denoising technologies - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Half of the man-made radiation exposure to the U.S. population can be attributed to CT. Thus, stakeholders have invested heavily in the reduction of CT doses. Recently, CT Deep Learning Reconstruction or Denoising (DLRD) techniques have become available that claim to enable dose reduction in CT, just as CT iterative reconstruction (IR) claimed before it. Like DLRD, IR showed dramatic apparent increases in image quality by reducing image noise. Subsequent clinical studies found that true dose reductions capabilities for IR were only 20-25% in soft tissues and organs. Greater dose reductions resulted in compromised signal detectability for low-contrast lesions (e.g., liver metastases). Now, DLRD algorithms are being used in clinical practice and appear to yield image quality superior to IR. But again, we are finding that excessive radiation dose reduction can introduce new artifacts and compromise lesion detectability. Our overall objective is to develop and validate methods that can quantitatively determine CT protocols that deliver the needed diagnostic performance at the lowest patient dose for any scanner model or reconstruction algorithm. In our first two competitive award periods, we developed robust Channelized Hotelling model observers (MOs) to quantify diagnostic performance using low contrast objects within a uniform phantom and validated the work with large scale reader studies for both filtered back projection and IR images. We are deploying these tools under EB028936 to allow robust dose optimization by CT users. However, there remain challenges. First, low-contrast phantoms used with most MOs are too simple. Second, highly realistic lesion and noise insertion tools require use of proprietary projection data and access to manufacturer software tools. Third, MOs must be extended to work with DLRD methods and be generalizable to any scanner. The proposed work will use patient image data, obviating the need for projection data, use our developed deep learning (DL)-MOs to achieve a scalable solution for performance assessment, and be generalizable to any algorithm or scanner. The goal of this renewal application is to develop robust DL-MO tools to efficiently predict diagnostic performance for images created with DLRD methods. We will accomplish this through three specific aims: 1. Develop and validate disease-insertion and low-dose-simulation tools for CT DLRD techniques. 2. Develop and validate DL-MO tools to quantify mean diagnostic performance for DLRD methods. 3. Extend DL-MO methods to estimate performance variations across readers. This work is the first to develop and use DL-MOs as accurate and efficient surrogates of human readers to characterize task-specific performance of DLRD methods in CT using patient images. The resultant performance assessment engine will facilitate training / testing of DL-based noise reduction algorithms and optimizing CT protocols and doses. These significant capabilities will ensure that diagnostic performance and the lifesaving diagnostic information obtained from CT are not compromised in DLRD-processed images.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $421,277 )
2026	2026	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	12	1/7/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$421,277
														Subtotal = $421,277

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $567,984 )
2025	2025	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	11	12/19/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$511,186
2025	2025	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	002	11	5/19/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$56,798
2025	2022	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	9	12/17/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $567,984

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $587,337 )
2024	2024	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	10	4/25/2024	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$46,368
2024	2024	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	10	12/15/2023	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$540,969
														Subtotal = $587,337

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $553,155 )
2022	2022	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	9	4/22/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$55,316
2022	2022	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	9	12/22/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$497,839
														Subtotal = $553,155

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $562,325 )
2021	2021	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	8	3/18/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$45,904
2021	2021	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	8	12/29/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$516,421
2021	2021	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	002	8	5/26/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $562,325

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $554,791 )
2020	2020	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	7	12/9/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$499,311
2020	2020	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	7	1/10/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$55,480
														Subtotal = $554,791

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $582,501 )
2019	2019	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	6	3/27/2019	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$582,501
2019	2016	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	5	1/22/2019	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
														Subtotal = $582,501

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2017	2016	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	5	1/28/2017	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$209,028
2017	2015	MAYO CLINIC	200 1ST ST SW	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	4	1/28/2017	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$209,028
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $631,866 )
2016	2016	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST STREET, S. W.	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	5	8/12/2016	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$631,866
														Subtotal = $631,866

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $619,229 )
2015	2015	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST STREET	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	001	4	9/23/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2015	2015	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST STREET, S. W.	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	4	8/28/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$619,229
														Subtotal = $619,229

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $596,391 )
2014	2014	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST STREET, S. W.	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	3	9/5/2014	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$596,391
														Subtotal = $596,391

Issue Date FY: 2013 ( Subtotal = $579,791 )
2013	2013	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST STREET, S. W.	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	2	8/20/2013	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$579,791
														Subtotal = $579,791

Issue Date FY: 2012 ( Subtotal = $590,230 )
2012	2012	MAYO CLINIC	200 FIRST STREET, S. W.	ROCHESTER	MN	55905	OLMSTED	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	9/20/2012	NEW	$590,230
														Subtotal = $590,230

Grand Total All Awards = $6,846,877

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Diagnostic performance assessment and dose optimization using patient CT images: Application to deep-learning CT reconstruction and denoising technologies

Award Number: R01EB017095

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/20/2012

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer