Clinical and phantom validation of a deep learning based denoising algorithm for F-18-FDG PET images from lower detection counting in comparison with the standard acquisition.

Background: PET/CT image quality is directly influenced by the F-18-FDG injected activity. The higher the injected activity, the less noise in the reconstructed images but the more radioactive staff exposition. A new FDA cleared software has been introduced to obtain clinical PET images, acquired at 25% of the count statistics considering US practices.