HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Heikkinen, J. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Heikkinen, J. O.

New Automated Physical Phantom for Renography

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Etelä-Savo Hospital District, Mikkeli Central Hospital, Mikkeli, Finland

Physical phantoms have been used to test the diagnostic proficiency of nuclear medicine professionals and the accuracy of their equipment in external quality assurance surveys. No dynamic renal phantoms are commercially available. A new renal phantom, presented in this paper, was constructed and patented in the United States. Methods: The organs to be simulated by the phantom were in the form of containers filled with radioactive solution, and the device further comprised movable steel and lead plates between the containers and the -camera. The detectable radiation was regulated in accordance with automated computer-controlled step motors to move the attenuators to simulate a given patient situation. The reproducibility of the phantom measurements was defined as a coefficient of variation. Four different kidney-function simulations were repeated 3 times, and 6 parameters were compared. Results: The average root mean square deviation of the coefficient of variation was 6.7% for the perfusion integral, 1.3% for time to reach the maximum activity, 19.7% for mean transit time, 3.3% for function (Patlak [%]), 1.0% for outflow index (%), and 6.5% for time to reach the half-activity from maximum. Conclusion: With this phantom, the true values of most parameters measured are well known; it closely approaches true extraction, washout, and attenuation properties and curves, and the images produced are similar to those of patient studies. Compared with the first manual version, this new automated phantom is easy to use. Any desired clinical situation can be programmed. It is a promising tool for quality assurance and calibration of renography.

Key Words: phantom • renography • -camera • radionuclide imaging

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. W. Wessels, M. W. Konijnenberg, R. G. Dale, H. B. Breitz, M. Cremonesi, R. F. Meredith, A. J. Green, L. G. Bouchet, A. B. Brill, W. E. Bolch, et al. MIRD Pamphlet No. 20: The Effect of Model Assumptions on Kidney Dosimetry and Response--Implications for Radionuclide Therapy J. Nucl. Med., November 1, 2008; 49(11): 1884 - 1899. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]