Objective: The aim of the present study was to propose a comprehensive method for positron emission tomography (PET) scanners image quality assessment, by simulation of a thin layer chromatography (TLC) flood source with a previously validated Monte Carlo model.
Methods And Materials: We used the GATE Monte Carlo package (GEANT4 application for tomographic emission) and the reconstructed images were obtained using the software for tomographic image reconstruction (STIR), with cluster computing. The PET scanner used in this simulation study was the General Electric Discovery-ST (USA). The plane source that was used for the image quality assessment was a TLC plate, consisting of an aluminum (Al) foil, coated with a thin layer of silica and immersed in fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) bath solution (1 MBq). The influence of different scintillating crystals on PET scanner's image quality, in terms of the modulation transfer function (MTF), the normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS) and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE), were also investigated. Modulation transfer function was estimated from transverse slices of the plane source, whereas the NNPS from the corresponding coronal slices. Images were reconstructed by the commonly used 2D filtered back projection (FBP2D), the Kinahan and Rogers FPB3DRP and the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE)-OSMAPOSL algorithms. Images obtained using the OSMAPOSL algorithm were assessed by using 15 subsets and 3 iterations.
Results: The PET scanner configuration, equipped with LuAP crystals, exhibited the optimum MTF values in both 2D and 3D FBP image reconstruction, whereas the corresponding configuration with BGO crystals exhibited the optimum MTF values after the iterative algorithm. The scanner equipped with the BGO crystals was also found to exhibit overall the lowest noise levels and the highest DQE values after algorithms. These finding indicate that the GE Discovery ST PET scanner exhibits the optimum image quality parameters, in terms of MTF, NNPS and DQE, with BGO scintillating crystals.
Conclusion: Our new method showed that the imaging performance of PET scanners can be fully characterized and further improved by investigation of the imaging chain components through Monte Carlo methods. To this aim, a TLC based plane source was used during the simulation, in order to assess the impact of the scintillating crystal material on PET image quality, with the application of a previously validated Monte Carlo model. The aforementioned plane source can be also useful for the further development of PET and SPET scanners through GATE simulations, for clinical applications.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1967/s002449910405 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Characterization of Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome in a Mouse Model Using [18F]F- Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography.
Health Phys
January 2025
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Sciences Program, Department of Clinical & Diagnostic Sciences, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
Ionizing radiation on the skin has the potential to cause various sequelae affecting quality of life and even leading to death due to multi-system failure. The development of radiation dermatitis is attributed to oxidative damage to the skin's basal layer and alterations in immune response, leading to inflammation. Past studies have shown that [18F]F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography ([18F]F-FDG PET/CT) can be used effectively for the detection of inflammatory activity, especially in conditions like hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, and early atherosclerosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatient perspective: Is intensive screening of women at high risk of breast cancer evidence-based medicine or ?
Womens Health (Lond)
January 2025
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Glendale Campus, Glendale, AZ, USA.
In 2023, a breast cancer risk assessment and a subsequent positive test for the BRCA-2 genetic mutation brought me to the uncomfortable intersection of a longstanding career as an advocate for high-quality medical evidence to support shared patient-provider decision making and a new role as a high-risk patient. My search for studies of available risk-management options revealed that the most commonly recommended approach for women with a ⩾20% lifetime breast cancer risk, intensive screening including annual mammography and/or magnetic resonance imaging beginning at age 25-40 years, was supported only by cancer-detection statistics, with almost no evidence on patient-centered outcomes-mortality, physical and psychological morbidity, or quality of life-compared with standard screening or a surgical alternative, bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy. In this commentary, I explore parallels between the use of the intensive screening protocol and another longstanding women's health recommendation based on limited evidence, the use of hormone therapy (HT) for postmenopausal chronic disease prevention, which was sharply curtailed after the publication of the groundbreaking Women's Health Initiative trial in 2002.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNew imaging techniques and trends in radiology.
Diagn Interv Radiol
January 2025
Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Erzincan, Türkiye.
Radiography is a field of medicine inherently intertwined with technology. The dependency on technology is very high for obtaining images in ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although the reduction in radiation dose is not applicable in US and MRI, advancements in technology have made it possible in CT, with ongoing studies aimed at further optimization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPromising mass spectrometry imaging: exploring microscale insights in food.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Marine Food Processing and Safety Control, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
This review focused on mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), a powerful tool in food analysis, covering its ion source schemes and procedures and their applications in food quality, safety, and nutrition to provide detailed insights into these aspects. The review presented a detailed introduction to both commonly used and emerging ionization sources, including nanoparticle laser desorption/ionization (NPs-LDI), air flow-assisted ionization (AFAI), desorption ionization with through-hole alumina membrane (DIUTHAME), plasma-assisted laser desorption ionization (PALDI), and low-temperature plasma (LTP). In the MSI process, particular emphasis was placed on quantitative MSI (QMSI) and super-resolution algorithms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFQuality of life assessment after minimally invasive operative treatment in children with pectus excavatum: A single-center study and literature review.
Adv Clin Exp Med
January 2025
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwik Rydygier Medical College in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland.
Background: Most patients with chest wall deformities have a negative body image, which affects their self-esteem and quality of life (QoL).
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in patients' QoL after minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE).
Material And Methods: A prospective, single-center study was conducted between 2019 and 2023.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!