RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Absolute Quantification of Myocardial Blood Flow with H215O and 3-Dimensional PET: An Experimental Validation JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO J Nucl Med FD Society of Nuclear Medicine SP 1031 OP 1040 VO 43 IS 8 A1 Klaus P. Schäfers A1 Terence J. Spinks A1 Paolo G. Camici A1 Peter M. Bloomfield A1 Christopher G. Rhodes A1 Marilyn P. Law A1 Christopher S.R. Baker A1 Ornella Rimoldi YR 2002 UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/43/8/1031.abstract AB The purpose of this study was to assess a 3-dimensional (3D)-only PET scanner (ECAT EXACT3D) for its use in the absolute quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) using H215O. Methods: Nine large white pigs were scanned with H215O and C15O before and after partially occluding the circumflex (n = 4) or the left anterior descending (n = 5) coronary artery at rest and during hyperemia induced by intravenous dipyridamole. Radioactive microspheres labeled with either 57Co or 46Sc were injected during each of the H215O scans, which allowed comparison between microsphere and PET measurements of regional MBF. PET analyses of 3D acquisition data were performed using filtered backprojection reconstruction and region-of-interest definition by factor and cluster analysis techniques and single-compartment model quantification. Results: The Hanning filter applied in image reconstruction resulted in a left atrial blood volume recovery factor of 0.84 ± 0.06. Differences between repeated measurements of recovery were small (mean, −0.8%; range, −6.6% to 3.6%). In 256 paired measurements of MBF ranging from 0.05 to 4.4 mL · g− 1 · min−1, microsphere and PET measurements were fairly well correlated. The mean difference between the 2 methods was − 0.11 mL · g−1 · min−1 and the limits of agreement (+2 SD) were −0.82 and 0.60 mL · g−1 · min−1 (Bland-Altman plot). Conclusion: Dynamic measurements with H215O using a 3D-only PET tomograph provide reliable and accurate measurements of absolute regional MBF over a wide flow range. The 3D acquisition technique can reduce the radiation dose to the subject while maintaining adequate counting statistics.