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Title: Positron emission mammography with tomographic acquisition using dual planar detectors: initial evaluations

Journal Article · · Physics in Medicine and Biology

Positron emission mammography (PEM) with tomographic acquisition using dual planar detectors rotating about the breast can obtain complete angular sampling and has the potential to improve activity estimation compared with PEM using stationary detectors. PEM tomography (PEMT) was compared with stationary PEM for point source and compressed breast phantom studies performed with a compact dual detector system. The acquisition geometries were appropriate for the target application of PEM guidance of stereotactic core biopsy. Images were reconstructed with a three-dimensional iterative maximum likelihood expectation maximization algorithm. PEMT eliminated blurring normal to the detectors seen with stationary PEM. Depth of interaction effects distorted the shape of the point spread functions for PEMT as the angular range from normal incidence of lines of response used in image reconstruction increased. Streak artifacts in PEMT for large detector rotation increments led to the development of an expression for the maximum rotation increment that maintains complete angular sampling. Studies with a compressed breast phantom were used to investigate contrast and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) trade-offs for different sized spherical tumor models. PEMT and PEM both had advantages depending on lesion size and detector separation. The most appropriate acquisition method for specific detection or quantitation tasks requires additional investigation.

Research Organization:
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE - Office of Energy Research (ER)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84ER40150
OSTI ID:
882455
Report Number(s):
JLAB-PHY-03-221; DOE/ER/40150-3876; PHMBA7; TRN: US0603223
Journal Information:
Physics in Medicine and Biology, Vol. 49; ISSN 0031-9155
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English