Dual energy imaging has made it possible to enhance contrast in medical images using images containing different energy information, by combining low and high energy images. Dual energy data can either be acquired using double exposures or splitting the energy spectrum into two images using one exposure.

This thesis presents investigations of dual energy imaging using a detector solution developed by XCounter which provides dual energy images in a single exposure with a threshold separating low and high energy images. Phantom experiments with phantoms of aluminum and plexiglas were performed using weighted logarithmic subtraction and basis material decomposition to produce dual energy images. Methods were validated and images were evaluated in terms of signal difference in noise ratio to find the threshold and tube voltage combination for optimum energy spectrum separation. The methods were also tested on biological materials using bone, soft tissue and iodine solution as contrast enhancer, to investigate K-edge imaging. 

Optimal separation of plexiglas and aluminum were found at 70 kVp and the threshold parameter set within a range of 8 to 9, which corresponds to approximately 30 to 34 keV. For K-edge imaging, the optimum separation were found close to K-edge energy of iodine. The results found in the phantom study correlated with results from the biological material study.