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Seven-Pinhole Tomography—A Technical Description

Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center

Correspondence: For reprints contact: M. T. LeFree, Div. of Cardiology, VA Medical Ctr., 2215 Fuller Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

ABSTRACT

A single-photon emission tomography system was developed and studied. Based upon a seven-pinhole-collimated Anger camera, interfaced to a digital mini-computer, this imaging configuration yielded seven independent, nonoverlapping projection images of the radioactivity in a commonly viewed volume. The computer was used to implement an iterative algorithm that processed these projections to yield a three-dimensional reconstruction of the source distribution. The algorithm provides a nonlinear first approximation to the reconstruction, then uses a single iteration technique to reduce errors resulting from that approximation. Point spread functions (PSF) at various distances from the collimator face, and point-source sensitivity (PSS) at a location in the middle of the reconstruction volume were determined. The system was used for thallium-201 imaging, where it was shown to reduce imaging time and increase sensitivity without loss in specificity when compared with standard parallel-hole-collimated imaging. Seven-pinhole tomography is a practical three-dimensional imaging system that has been demonstrated to be useful in the emission cardiology setting.