Abstract
T59
Introduction: Work on the further technological advancements in nuclear medicine are focused on new detectors and approaches to collimation as well as advanced methods of image processing and tomographic reconstruction. Although physicists and engineers often take the lead on these innovations, their overall knowledge the practice of clinical nuclear medicine can often be lacking. Collaboration with a well-versed, experienced nuclear medicine technologist can be of substantial value in this regard. The testing of a novel method of collimation for SPECT is used for demonstration.
Methods: Argospect Technologies, Inc in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital is performing the initial testing of their novel Spread Field Imaging (SFI) SPECT collimation with the potential for improvements in both spatial resolution and sensitivity due to its unique design. A prototype model of the SFI collimator was constructed to fit on the Siemens Symbia camera, but it could not be used for routine SPECT acquisition as the system did not recognize it as a standard collimator. Thus, for preliminary testing, the SPECT acquisition needed to be advanced and acquired manually. Calibration as well as Data Spectrum "Jaszczak" phantom data and the NEMA body phantom were acquired, organized, and sent to Argospect for reconstruction and analysis. Data were also acquired using a conventional low-energy ultrahigh-resolution (LEUHR) collimator for comparison.
Results: SFI hole diameter was larger (2.15 vs 1.16 mm) and length shorter (28.7 vs 35.8 mm) compared to LEUHR leading to 3 times the sensitivity. However, hot rod phantom images demonstrated enhanced spatial resolution for SFI vs LEUHR due to its innovative design.
Conclusions: This preliminary study demonstrated the potential technological advantages of the SFI design which may have significant advantages over conventional collimation, particularly in certain clinical applications such as pediatric, cardiovascular or brain imaging. This project’s lead technologist advised the engineers on the most proper way to acquire these data, and directed the phantom preparation, study acquisitions, data management and communication. She also advised on the most patient-friendly approaches for the clinical application of this technology. The substantial value of engaging an experienced nuclear medicine technologist is well demonstrated in this presentation.
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