Initial evaluation of a state-of-the-art commercial preclinical PET/CT scanner

Taek Soo Lee, Andrew Rittenbach, César Gutiérrez Fernández, Jesus Lopez-Longas, Juan M. Arco, Benjamin M.W. Tsui

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

We performed an initial evaluation of a state-of-the-art commercial preclinical PET/CT scanner (SuperArgus 4R, SEDECAL, Madrid, Spain). The PET unit consists of 4 rings of 96 detector modules each with an array of 338 1.45 × 1.45 × 15 mm3 pixelated LYSO and GSO phoswich crystals with DOI information. It has a maximum axial FOV of 100 mm and transaxial FOV of 120 mm. The CT unit consists of an x-ray source with variable micro focal spot size and a large 229 × 145 mm2 flat-panel detector that allows imaging of a volume-of-view (VOV) at three different magnifications, at a smallest voxel of 15 micron. We measured the sensitivity and uniformity of the PET unit using a calibrated Na-22 point source and a cylindrical phantom filled with a homogeneous FDG solution. The system resolution was determined from the reconstructed images of a thin FDG-filled capillary tube in air and inside a plastic cylinder, and a hot-rod phantom using the FBP and the 3D iterative reconstruction algorithm at different iteration numbers. The uniformity of the CT unit was evaluated from a summed reconstructed image with low statistical image noise of and at three magnifications. The resolution was determined from the edge functions of images of a set of precision-machined acrylic rods of different diameters at three magnifications and with different acquired and reconstructed pixel sizes. The dual-modality image co-registration was assessed using a set of CT and PET images obtained from a phantom consisting of a Ge-68 annulus ring phantom with an attached Na-22 point source. Finally, the preclinical imaging performance of the PET/CT system were evaluated from sample images several small animal studies. Our preliminary results showed the PET unit was able to achieve a system resolution of 0.85 mm and sensitivity of ∼8.9 %, and the CT unit a highest resolution of ∼20 micron. We conclude the preclinical PET/CT system meet the stated specifications and is suitable for high performance preclinical molecular imaging of small animals.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2016 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detector Workshop, NSS/MIC/RTSD 2016
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9781509016426
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 16 2017
Event2016 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detector Workshop, NSS/MIC/RTSD 2016 - Strasbourg, France
Duration: Oct 29 2016Nov 6 2016

Publication series

Name2016 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detector Workshop, NSS/MIC/RTSD 2016
Volume2017-January

Other

Other2016 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detector Workshop, NSS/MIC/RTSD 2016
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityStrasbourg
Period10/29/1611/6/16

Keywords

  • PET/CT
  • Performance evaluation
  • Small animal imaging

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Instrumentation
  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics
  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

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