Articles

Cerenkov luminescence imaging: physics principles and potential applications in biomedical sciences

Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) is a novel imaging modality to study charged particles with optical methods by detecting the Cerenkov luminescence produced in tissue. This paper first describes the physica...

Authors: Esther Ciarrocchi and Nicola Belcari

Minimum lesion detectability as a measure of PET system performance

A phantom in combination with an imaging protocol was developed to measure the limit of small lesion detection on different PET systems. Seven small spheres with inner diameters ranging from 3.95 up to 15.43 m...

Authors: Stephen Adler, Jurgen Seidel, Peter Choyke, Michael V. Knopp, Katherine Binzel, Jun Zhang, Craig Barker, Shielah Conant and Roberto Maass-Moreno

MLAA-based attenuation correction of flexible hardware components in hybrid PET/MR imaging

Accurate PET quantification demands attenuation correction (AC) for both patient and hardware attenuation of the 511 keV annihilation photons. In hybrid PET/MR imaging, AC for stationary hardware components su...

Authors: Thorsten Heußer, Christopher M. Rank, Yannick Berker, Martin T. Freitag and Marc Kachelrieß

Depth of interaction determination in monolithic scintillator with double side SiPM readout

Monolithic scintillators read out by arrays of photodetectors represent a promising solution to obtain high spatial resolution and the depth of interaction (DOI) of the annihilation photon. We have recently in...

Authors: Matteo Morrocchi, Giovanni Ambrosi, Maria Giuseppina Bisogni, Filippo Bosi, Marco Boretto, Piergiorgio Cerello, Maria Ionica, Ben Liu, Francesco Pennazio, Maria Antonietta Piliero, Giovanni Pirrone, Vasile Postolache, Richard Wheadon and Alberto Del Guerra

Cardiac PET/CT with Rb-82: optimization of image acquisition and reconstruction parameters

Our aim was to characterize the influence of time-of-flight (TOF) and point spread function (PSF) recovery corrections, as well as ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstruction parameters, in ⁸²Rb...

Authors: P. Chilra, S. Gnesin, G. Allenbach, M. Monteiro, J. O. Prior, L. Vieira and J. A. Pires Jorge

Digital PET compliance to EARL accreditation specifications

Our aim was to evaluate if a recently introduced TOF PET system with digital photon counting technology (Philips Healthcare), potentially providing an improved image quality over analogue systems, can fulfil E...

Authors: Daniëlle Koopman, Maureen Groot Koerkamp, Pieter L. Jager, Hester Arkies, Siert Knollema, Cornelis H. Slump, Pedro G. Sanches and Jorn A. van Dalen

[¹²³I]FP-CIT ENC-DAT normal database: the impact of the reconstruction and quantification methods

[¹²³I]FP-CIT is a well-established radiotracer for the diagnosis of dopaminergic degenerative disorders. The European Normal Control Database of DaTSCAN (ENC-DAT) of healthy controls has provided age and gender-s...

Authors: Livia Tossici-Bolt, John C. Dickson, Terez Sera, Jan Booij, Susanne Asenbaun-Nan, Maria C. Bagnara, Thierry Vander Borght, Cathrine Jonsson, Robin de Nijs, Swen Hesse, Pierre M. Koulibaly, Umit O. Akdemir, Michel Koole, Klaus Tatsch and Andrea Varrone

Accuracy and precision assessment for activity quantification in individualized dosimetry of ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE therapy

In order to obtain a reliable ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE therapy dosimetry, it is crucial to acquire accurate and precise activity measurements with the radionuclide calibrator, the SPECT/CT camera, and the NaI(Tl) well coun...

Authors: Gwennaëlle Marin, Bruno Vanderlinden, Ioannis Karfis, Thomas Guiot, Zena Wimana, Patrick Flamen and Stefaan Vandenberghe

3D absorbed dose distribution estimated by Monte Carlo simulation in radionuclide therapy with a monoclonal antibody targeting synovial sarcoma

Radiolabeled OTSA101, a monoclonal antibody targeting synovial sarcoma (SS) developed by OncoTherapy Science, was used to treat relapsing SS metastases following a theranostic procedure: in case of significant ^11...

Authors: David Sarrut, Jean-Noël Badel, Adrien Halty, Gwenaelle Garin, David Perol, Philippe Cassier, Jean-Yves Blay, David Kryza and Anne-Laure Giraudet

Point-spread function reconstructed PET images of sub-centimeter lesions are not quantitative

PET image reconstruction methods include modeling of resolution degrading phenomena, often referred to as point-spread function (PSF) reconstruction. The aim of this study was to develop a clinically relevant ...

Authors: O. L. Munk, L. P. Tolbod, S. B. Hansen and T. V. Bogsrud

An experimental phantom study of the effect of gadolinium-based MR contrast agents on PET attenuation coefficients and PET quantification in PET-MR imaging: application to cardiac studies

Simultaneous cardiac perfusion studies are an increasing trend in PET-MR imaging. During dynamic PET imaging, the introduction of gadolinium-based MR contrast agents (GBCA) at high concentrations during a dual...

Authors: Jim O’ Doherty and Paul Schleyer

Evaluation of two intraoperative gamma detectors for assessment of ¹⁷⁷Lu activity concentration in vivo

Patients with somatostatin receptor-expressing neuroendocrine tumours can be treated with intravenously administered ¹⁷⁷Lu-octreotate. Few patients are cured with the present protocol due to the current dose limi...

Authors: Viktor Sandblom, Ingun Ståhl, Roger Olofsson Bagge and Eva Forssell-Aronsson

Accuracy of ¹⁷⁷Lu activity quantification in SPECT imaging: a phantom study

The aim of the study is to assess accuracy of activity quantification of ¹⁷⁷Lu studies performed according to recommendations provided by the committee on Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) pamphlets 23 and 2...

Authors: Carlos F. Uribe, Pedro L. Esquinas, Jesse Tanguay, Marjorie Gonzalez, Emilie Gaudin, Jean-Mathieu Beauregard and Anna Celler

Quantitative myocardial blood flow imaging with integrated time-of-flight PET-MR

The use of integrated PET-MR offers new opportunities for comprehensive assessment of cardiac morphology and function. However, little is known on the quantitative accuracy of cardiac PET imaging with integrat...

Authors: Tanja Kero, Jonny Nordström, Hendrik J. Harms, Jens Sörensen, Håkan Ahlström and Mark Lubberink

A gamma-distribution convolution model of ^99mTc-MIBI thyroid time-activity curves

The convolution approach to thyroid time-activity curve (TAC) data fitting with a gamma distribution convolution (GDC) TAC model following bolus intravenous injection is presented and applied to ^99mTc-MIBI data. ...

Authors: Carl A. Wesolowski, Surajith N. Wanasundara, Michal J. Wesolowski, Belkis Erbas and Paul S. Babyn

Pharmacokinetic modeling of a novel hypoxia PET tracer [¹⁸F]HX4 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

[¹⁸F]HX4 is a promising new PET tracer developed to identify hypoxic areas in tumor tissue. This study analyzes [¹⁸F]HX4 kinetics and assesses the performance of simplified methods for quantification of [¹⁸F]HX4 ...

Authors: E. E. Verwer, C. M. L. Zegers, W. van Elmpt, R. Wierts, A. D. Windhorst, F. M. Mottaghy, P. Lambin and R. Boellaard

A 3D-printed anatomical pancreas and kidney phantom for optimizing SPECT/CT reconstruction settings in beta cell imaging using ¹¹¹In-exendin

Quantitative single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is challenging, especially for pancreatic beta cell imaging with ¹¹¹In-exendin due to high uptake in the kidneys versus much lower uptake in the nea...

Authors: Wietske Woliner-van der Weg, Laura N. Deden, Antoi P. W. Meeuwis, Maaike Koenrades, Laura H. C. Peeters, Henny Kuipers, Geert Jan Laanstra, Martin Gotthardt, Cornelis H. Slump and Eric P. Visser

Estimation of activity of administered ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose by measurement of the dose equivalent rate on the right temporal region of the head

Positron emission tomography (PET) with ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is now a routine procedure for the management of cancer patients. Intravenous administration of FDG is sometimes halted due to troubles. In suc...

Authors: Kenta Sakaguchi, Makoto Hosono, Tomomi Imamura, Naomi Takahara, Misa Hayashi, Yuko Yakushiji, Kazunari Ishii, Tatsuro Uto and Takamichi Murakami

Left ventricular function assessment using ¹²³I/^99mTc dual-isotope acquisition with two semi-conductor cadmium–zinc–telluride (CZT) cameras: a gated cardiac phantom study

The impact of increased energy resolution of cadmium–zinc–telluride (CZT) cameras on the assessment of left ventricular function under dual-isotope conditions (^99mTc and ¹²³I) remains unknown.

Authors: Tanguy Blaire, Alban Bailliez, Fayçal Ben Bouallegue, Dimitri Bellevre, Denis Agostini and Alain Manrique

Evaluation of spatial dependence of point spread function-based PET reconstruction using a traceable point-like ²²Na source

The point spread function (PSF) of positron emission tomography (PET) depends on the position across the field of view (FOV). Reconstruction based on PSF improves spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy. ...

Authors: Taisuke Murata, Kenta Miwa, Noriaki Miyaji, Kei Wagatsuma, Tomoyuki Hasegawa, Keiichi Oda, Takuro Umeda, Takashi Iimori, Yoshitada Masuda, Takashi Terauchi and Mitsuru Koizumi

Radiation dosimetry of the α₄β₂ nicotinic receptor ligand (+)-[¹⁸F]flubatine, comparing preclinical PET/MRI and PET/CT to first-in-human PET/CT results

Both enantiomers of [¹⁸F]flubatine are new radioligands for neuroimaging of α₄β₂ nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with positron emission tomography (PET) exhibiting promising pharmacokinetics which makes them at...

Authors: Mathias Kranz, Bernhard Sattler, Solveig Tiepolt, Stephan Wilke, Winnie Deuther-Conrad, Cornelius K. Donat, Steffen Fischer, Marianne Patt, Andreas Schildan, Jörg Patt, René Smits, Alexander Hoepping, Jörg Steinbach, Osama Sabri and Peter Brust

Measurement of cardiovascular function using a novel view-sharing PET reconstruction method and tracer kinetic analysis

Recent advancements in PET instrumentation have made the non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular function in small animals a reality. The majority of small animal PET systems use stationary detector gantries...

Authors: Paul R. Territo, Amanda A. Riley, Brian P. McCarthy and Gary D. Hutchins

Phantom criteria for qualification of brain FDG and amyloid PET across different cameras

While fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and amyloid PET is valuable for patient management, research, and clinical trial of therapeutics on Alzheimer’s disease, the specific details of the PET scanning method including...

Authors: Yasuhiko Ikari, Go Akamatsu, Tomoyuki Nishio, Kenji Ishii, Kengo Ito, Takeshi Iwatsubo and Michio Senda

Technical note: how to determine the FDG activity for tumour PET imaging that satisfies European guidelines

For tumour imaging with PET, the literature proposes to administer a patient-specific FDG activity that depends quadratically on a patient’s body weight. However, a practical approach on how to implement such ...

Authors: Daniëlle Koopman, Jochen A. C. van Osch, Pieter L. Jager, Carlijn J. A. Tenbergen, Siert Knollema, Cornelis H. Slump and Jorn A. van Dalen

A novel planar image-based method for bone marrow dosimetry in ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE treatment correlates with haematological toxicity

^177Lu-DOTATATE is a valuable treatment option for patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours overexpressing somatostatin receptors. Though well tolerated in general, bone marrow to...

Authors: Johanna Svensson, Tobias Rydén, Linn Hagmarker, Jens Hemmingsson, Bo Wängberg and Peter Bernhardt

Multimodality calibration for simultaneous fluoroscopic and nuclear imaging

Simultaneous real-time fluoroscopic and nuclear imaging could benefit image-guided (oncological) procedures. To this end, a hybrid modality is currently being developed by our group, by combining a c-arm with ...

Authors: Casper Beijst, Mattijs Elschot, Sandra van der Velden and Hugo W. A. M. de Jong

An overview of CEST MRI for non-MR physicists

The search for novel image contrasts has been a major driving force in the magnetic resonance (MR) research community, in order to gain further information on the body’s physiological and pathological conditions.

Authors: B. Wu, G. Warnock, M. Zaiss, C. Lin, M. Chen, Z. Zhou, L. Mu, D. Nanz, R. Tuura and G. Delso

A robust conversion method of radioactivities between plastic and NaI scintillation well counters for long-term quality control and quality assurance

The purpose of this study is to specify a simple procedure for a robust data conversion of radioactivity value between plastic scintillator (PL) and NaI scintillator (NaI) devices.

Authors: Takeshi Hara, Tadahiko Ishihara, Takahiko Asano, Masayuki Matsuo, Tetsuro Katafuchi and Hiroshi Fujita

Abdo-Man: a 3D-printed anthropomorphic phantom for validating quantitative SIRT

The use of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) is rapidly increasing, and the need for quantification and dosimetry is becoming more widespread to facilitate treatment planning and verification. The ai...

Authors: Jonathan I. Gear, Craig Cummings, Allison J. Craig, Antigoni Divoli, Clive D. C. Long, Michael Tapner and Glenn D. Flux

Effect of dosimeter’s position on occupational radiation extremity dose measurement for nuclear medicine workers during ¹⁸F-FDG preparation for PET/CT

The recent spread of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) poses extremity dosimetry challenges. The question arose whether the radiation dose measured by the ring thermoluminescent dosimet...

Authors: Fabien Salesses, Paul Perez, Aline E. Maillard, Julie Blanchard, Sabine Mallard and Laurence Bordenave

Radiation exposure of the spleen during ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE treatment and its correlation with haematological toxicity and spleen volume

Somatostatin analogue-based radionuclide therapy with ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE is an important treatment option for patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours overexpressing somatostatin receptors. In addition to the ki...

Authors: Johanna Svensson, Linn Hagmarker, Tobias Magnander, Bo Wängberg and Peter Bernhardt

A study of SPECT/CT camera stability for quantitative imaging

The purpose of this study was twofold: to evaluate the quantitative stability of a SPECT/CT gamma camera over time and to determine if daily flood acquisitions can reliably serve as calibration factors for qua...

Authors: Wendy A. McDougald, Robert S. Miyaoka, Adam M. Alessio, Robert L. Harrison and Thomas K. Lewellen

An automatic delineation method for bone marrow absorbed dose estimation in ⁸⁹Zr PET/CT studies

The study aims to develop and validate an automatic delineation method for estimating red bone marrow (RM) activity concentration and absorbed dose in ⁸⁹Zr positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT...

Authors: N.E. Makris, R. Boellaard, C.W. Menke, A.A. Lammertsma and M.C. Huisman

Organ-specific SPECT activity calibration using 3D printed phantoms for molecular radiotherapy dosimetry

Patient-specific absorbed dose calculations for molecular radiotherapy require accurate activity quantification. This is commonly derived from Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging using a...

Authors: Andrew P. Robinson, Jill Tipping, David M. Cullen, David Hamilton, Richard Brown, Alex Flynn, Christopher Oldfield, Emma Page, Emlyn Price, Andrew Smith and Richard Snee

Cross-calibration of the Siemens mMR: easily acquired accurate PET phantom measurements, long-term stability and reproducibility

We present a quick and easy method to perform quantitatively accurate PET scans of typical water-filled PET plastic shell phantoms on the Siemens Biograph mMR PET/MR system.

Authors: Sune H. Keller, Björn Jakoby, Susanne Svalling, Andreas Kjaer, Liselotte Højgaard and Thomas L. Klausen

Simultaneous Tc-99m and I-123 dual-radionuclide imaging with a solid-state detector-based brain-SPECT system and energy-based scatter correction

A brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system using cadmium telluride (CdTe) solid-state detectors was previously developed. This CdTe-SPECT system is suitable for simultaneous dual-radionu...

Authors: Wataru Takeuchi, Atsuro Suzuki, Tohru Shiga, Naoki Kubo, Yuichi Morimoto, Yuichiro Ueno, Keiji Kobashi, Kikuo Umegaki and Nagara Tamaki

Lesion quantification and detection in myocardial ¹⁸F-FDG PET using edge-preserving priors and anatomical information from CT and MRI: a simulation study

The limited spatial resolution of the clinical PET scanners results in image blurring and does not allow for accurate quantification of very thin or small structures (known as partial volume effect). In cardiac i...

Authors: Anna Turco, Johan Nuyts, Olivier Gheysens, Jürgen Duchenne, Jens-Uwe Voigt, Piet Claus and Kathleen Vunckx

Physics of pure and non-pure positron emitters for PET: a review and a discussion

With the increased interest in new PET tracers, gene-targeted therapy, immunoPET, and theranostics, other radioisotopes will be increasingly used in clinical PET scanners, in addition to ¹⁸F. Some of the most int...

Authors: Maurizio Conti and Lars Eriksson

Simultaneous PET/MRI with ¹³C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (hyperPET): phantom-based evaluation of PET quantification

Integrated PET/MRI with hyperpolarized ¹³C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (¹³C-MRSI) offers simultaneous, dual-modality metabolic imaging. A prerequisite for the use of simultaneous imaging is the absen...

Authors: Adam E. Hansen, Flemming L. Andersen, Sarah T. Henriksen, Alexandre Vignaud, Jan H. Ardenkjaer-Larsen, Liselotte Højgaard, Andreas Kjaer and Thomas L. Klausen

Optimization of brain PET imaging for a multicentre trial: the French CATI experience

CATI is a French initiative launched in 2010 to handle the neuroimaging of a large cohort of subjects recruited for an Alzheimer’s research program called MEMENTO. This paper presents our test protocol and res...

Authors: Marie-Odile Habert, Sullivan Marie, Hugo Bertin, Moana Reynal, Jean-Baptiste Martini, Mamadou Diallo, Aurélie Kas and Régine Trébossen

Quantitative comparison of PET performance—Siemens Biograph mCT and mMR

Integrated clinical whole-body PET/MR systems were introduced in 2010. In order to bring this technology into clinical usage, it is of great importance to compare the performance with the well-established PET/...

Authors: Anna M. Karlberg, Oddbjørn Sæther, Live Eikenes and Pål Erik Goa

CADA—computer-aided DaTSCAN analysis

Dopamine transporter (DaT) imaging (DaTSCAN) is useful for the differential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes. Visual evaluation of DaTSCAN images represents the generally accepted diagnostic method, but it ...

Authors: Antonio Augimeri, Andrea Cherubini, Giuseppe Lucio Cascini, Domenico Galea, Maria Eugenia Caligiuri, Gaetano Barbagallo, Gennarina Arabia and Aldo Quattrone

Recent developments in time-of-flight PET

While the first time-of-flight (TOF)-positron emission tomography (PET) systems were already built in the early 1980s, limited clinical studies were acquired on these scanners. PET was still a research tool, a...

Authors: S. Vandenberghe, E. Mikhaylova, E. D’Hoe, P. Mollet and J. S. Karp

Fully automated calculation of image-derived input function in simultaneous PET/MRI in a sheep model

Obtaining the arterial input function (AIF) from image data in dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) examinations is a non-invasive alternative to arterial blood sampling. In simultaneous PET/magnetic res...

Authors: Thies H. Jochimsen, Vilia Zeisig, Jessica Schulz, Peter Werner, Marianne Patt, Jörg Patt, Antje Y. Dreyer, Johannes Boltze, Henryk Barthel, Osama Sabri and Bernhard Sattler

A novel statistical analysis method to improve the detection of hepatic foci of ¹¹¹In-octreotide in SPECT/CT imaging

Low uptake ratios, high noise, poor resolution, and low contrast all combine to make the detection of neuroendocrine liver tumours by ¹¹¹In-octreotide single photon emission tomography (SPECT) imaging a challenge...

Authors: Tobias Magnander, E. Wikberg, J. Svensson, P. Gjertsson, B. Wängberg, M. Båth and Peter Bernhardt

Cyclotron production of ⁴³Sc for PET imaging

Recently, significant interest in ⁴⁴Sc as a tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been observed. Unfortunately, the co-emission by ⁴⁴Sc of high-energy γ rays (E _γ = ...

Authors: Rafał Walczak, Seweryn Krajewski, Katarzyna Szkliniarz, Mateusz Sitarz, Kamel Abbas, Jarosław Choiński, Andrzej Jakubowski, Jerzy Jastrzębski, Agnieszka Majkowska, Federica Simonelli, Anna Stolarz, Agnieszka Trzcińska, Wiktor Zipper and Aleksander Bilewicz

Cherenkov luminescence measurements with digital silicon photomultipliers: a feasibility study

A feasibility study was done to assess the capability of digital silicon photomultipliers to measure the Cherenkov luminescence emitted by a β source. Cherenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) is possible with a charg...

Authors: Esther Ciarrocchi, Nicola Belcari, Alberto Del Guerra, Simon R. Cherry, Adrienne Lehnert, William C. J. Hunter, Wendy McDougald, Robert S. Miyaoka and Paul E. Kinahan

Accurate molecular imaging of small animals taking into account animal models, handling, anaesthesia, quality control and imaging system performance

Small-animal imaging has become an important technique for the development of new radiotracers, drugs and therapies. Many laboratories have now a combination of different small-animal imaging systems, which ar...

Authors: Christian Vanhove, Jens P. Bankstahl, Stefanie D. Krämer, Eric Visser, Nicola Belcari and Stefaan Vandenberghe

Erratum to: Establishment of an open database of realistic simulated data for evaluation of partial volume correction techniques in brain PET/MR

Authors: Ana Mota, Vesna Cuplov, Ivana Drobnjak, John Dickson, Julien Bert, Ninon Burgos, Jorge Cardoso, Marc Modat, Sebastien Ourselin, Jonathan Schott, Kjell Erlandsson, Brian Hutton and Kris Thielemans

Erratum to: Analysis and reduction of eddy current effects induced by tesseral end zonal gradient coils in different collimator geometries for SPECT/MRI integration

Authors: Amine M. Samoudi, Karen Van Audenhaege, Gunter Vermeeren, Emmeric Tanghe, Luc Martens, Roel Van Holen and Wout Joseph