Assessment of dual time point protocols to produce parametric K images in FDG PET/CT: A virtual clinical study.

Purpose: This simulation study investigated the feasibility of generating Patlak K images using a dual time point (DTP-K) scan protocol involving two 3-min/bed routine static PET scans and, subsequently, assessed DTP-K performance for an optimal DTP scan time frame combination, against conventional Patlak K estimated from complete 0-93 min dynamic PET data.

Methods: Six realistic heterogeneous tumors of different characteristic spatiotemporal [F]FDG uptake distributions for three noise levels commonly found in clinical studies and 20 noise realizations (N = 360 samples) were produced by analytic simulations of the XCAT phantom. Subsequently, DTP-K images were generated by performing standard linear indirect Patlak analysis with t* -min (Patlak) using a scaled population-based input function (sPBIF) model on 66 combinations of early and late 3-min/bed static whole-body PET reconstructed images.

Estimation of kinetic parameters in dynamic FDG PET imaging based on shortened protocols: a virtual clinical study.

This study investigated the estimation of kinetic parameters and production of related parametric K images in FDG PET imaging using the proposed shortened protocol (three 3-min/bed routine static images) by means of the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. Six realistic heterogeneous tumors and various levels of [F] FDG uptake were simulated by the XCAT phantom. An irreversible two-tissue compartment model (2TCM) using population-based input function was employed.