Monte Carlo methods for the simulation of positron emitters in SPECT systems

Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:426296

Dobrzeniecki, A B ^[1]; Selcow, E C ^[2]; Yanch, J C; Belanger, M J; Lu, A ^[1]; Esser, P D ^[3]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
3. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)

Monte Carlo simulations of nuclear medical systems are being widely used to better understand the characteristics of the acquired images. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is an imaging modality that provides a physician with a nuclear medical image of function in an organ. In SPECT systems, the patient is injected with a radiopharmaceutical that is labeled with a photon-emitting radioisotope. A collimated gamma camera revolves around the patient, providing a series of planar images, which are then reconstructed to produce a three-dimensional image of the radiotracer distribution in the patient or phantom. The usage of positron emission computed tomography (PET) systems with {sup 18}F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is an important mechanism for quantitating tumor glucose metabolism. This may facilitate the detection of primary and metastatic malignancies and the distinction between tissue regions that are normal, fibrous, necrotic, or cancerous. However, PET facilities are implemented in significantly fewer hospitals in the United States than SPECT systems. To address this issue and provide similar functional information to a clinician, there is a growing interest in imaging the 511-keV photons associated with PET agents in SPECT imaging systems. Note that the clinical utility of FDG as a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical cannot be replicated by known radiotracers emitting single photons. The authors are extending their simulations of SPECT systems to higher photon energies, where at present there is more disagreement between simulations and actual data. They discuss here possible reasons for this and steps being taken to address this discrepancy in the development of the modeling.

• OSTI ID: 426296
• Report Number(s): CONF-961103--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 75; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
MONTE CARLO METHOD
ORGANS
POSITRON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY