Ultra-high-resolution brain SPECT imaging: Simulation results

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/23.256722· OSTI ID:6057664

Rogulski, M M; Barber, H B; Barrett, H H; Shoemaker, R L; Woolfenden, J M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

The spatial resolution in a reconstructed SPECT image is obviously influenced by the intrinsic resolution of the detector, but it is not generally recognized that the photon-counting efficiency of SPECT systems is also determined by the intrinsic resolution. In fact, it is often stated that increased intrinsic detector resolution is of little use since the overall resolution is limited by the collimator rather than the detector, and that collimator resolution cannot be increased without an unacceptable sacrifice in efficiency. In this paper, the authors attempt to demonstrate that improvements in detector resolution can lead to both improved spatial resolution in the image and improved counting efficiency compared to conventional systems. In this paper they report simulation studies that demonstrate the image quality that is attainable with such detectors. Reconstructions were performed using an iterative search algorithm on a custom-designed parallel computer. The imaging system was described by a calculated system matrix relating all voxels in the object space to all pixels on the detector. They found a resolution close to 2 mm on the reconstructed images obtained from these computer simulations with clinically reasonable exposure times. This resolution may be even further improved by optimization of the multiple-pinhole aperture. Thus the novel semiconductor modular gamma-camera design should provide a large improvement not only in detector resolution but also in reconstructed resolution.

• OSTI ID: 6057664
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Vol. 40:4 part 1; ISSN 0018-9499
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BRAIN
SINGLE PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
GAMMA CAMERAS
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
ACCURACY
IMAGE PROCESSING
OPTIMIZATION
SIMULATION
BODY
CAMERAS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANS
PROCESSING
RESOLUTION
TOMOGRAPHY
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics