TY - JOUR T1 - An Implantable Synthetic SPECT Lesion: A Bridge from Phantom to Reality JF - Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO - J Nucl Med SP - 1796 LP - 1799 DO - 10.2967/jnumed.107.046037 VL - 48 IS - 11 AU - M. Bret Abbott AU - Lars R. Furenlid AU - Don W. Wilson AU - Gail D. Stevenson AU - James M. Woolfenden AU - Harrison H. Barrett Y1 - 2007/11/01 UR - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/48/11/1796.abstract N2 - Small-animal imaging systems are often characterized using phantoms, which may not predict performance in clinical applications. An implantable synthetic SPECT lesion would facilitate characterization of lesion detectability in a living animal. Methods: Anion-exchange columns with bed volumes of 100–300 nL were constructed from medical-grade polyvinyl chloride tubing and resin. The columns were tested in an excised mouse femur and implanted in the femur of a living mouse. Imaging was performed using a prototype dual-modality SPECT/CT system. Results: Activity of 7.4–22.2 MBq (0.2–0.6 mCi) localized within the synthetic lesion. The synthetic lesions were reused multiple times. Mice tolerated the implanted columns without complications for up to 8 wk. Conclusion: A reusable, synthetic SPECT lesion was constructed and implanted in the femur of a living mouse. The synthetic lesion is useful for the development of imaging schemes and for more realistically evaluating imaging-system performance in the context of a living animal. ER -