Purpose: With the recent introduction of integrated whole-body hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) scanners, the need for data collection strategies arises that provide time efficient, simultaneous, and easy acquisition of PET and MRI data. One approach is to develop acquisition protocols with continuous table motion. In this work, a reconstruction technique to allow for reconstruction of PET data that were acquired with continuous table motion on an integrated hybrid whole-body PET/MRI scanner is presented and evaluated.
Methods: PET and MRI data of two quality-control phantoms ((68)Ge-Cylinder and Jasczcak phantom), a custom-built large body phantom, and of a clinical patient were acquired on a Biograph mMR 3.0 Tesla whole-body PET/MRI system with continuous table motion and for comparison with the standard multistation acquisition approach. The data were postprocessed and reconstructed offline with custom software to allow for continuous table motion acquisition and analyzed with respect to noise, spatial resolution, and geometric accuracy as well as subjective image impression.
Results: It is shown that data acquisition with continuous table motion is equivalent and in some respects, superior to the traditional multistation approach.
Conclusions: Continuous table motion can benefit the new hybrid modality PET/MRI by not being limited to several static bed positions, resulting in a better time efficiency, less continuity artifacts, and a faster and easier acquisition workflow.