| BACKGROUND: Acquiring a high quality image has assigned an important concern for obtaining accurate diagnosis in nuclear
medicine. Detector is a critical component of Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging system for
giving accurate information from exact pattern of radionuclide distribution in the target organ. The images are strongly affected
by the attenuation, scattering, and response of the detector. The conventional detector is mainly made from sodium iodide
activated by thallium [NaI(Tl)] in nuclear medicine imaging.
The aim of the study. This study has planned to introduce a suitable for an optimized SPECT imaging. SIMIND Monte Carlo
program was utilized for simulating a SPECT imaging system with a NaI(Tl) detector, and a low-energy high-resolution (LEHR)
collimator.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Planar and SPECT scans of a
Tc point source and also an extended Cardiac-Torso
(XCAT) computerized phantom with the experiment and simulated systems were prepared. After verification and validation of
the simulated system, the similar scans of the phantoms were compared from the point of view of image quality for 7 scintillator
crystals including: NaI(Tl), BGO, YAG:Ce, YAP:Ce, LuAG:Ce, LaBr
3
99m
and CZT. The parameters of energy and spatial resolution,
and sensitivity of the systems were compared. Images were analyzed quantitatively by SSIM algorithm with Zhou Wang and
Rouse/Hemami methods, and also qualitatively by two nuclear medicine specialists.
RESULTS: Energy resolutions of the mentioned crystals obtained were: 9.864, 9.8545, 10.229, 10.221, 10.230, 10.131and10.223
percentage for
Tc photopeak 140 Kev, respectively. Finally, SSIM indexes for the related phantom images were calculated
to 0.794, 0.738, 0.735, 0.607, 0.760 and 0.811 compared to the NaI(Tl) acquired images, respectively. Medical diagnosis of
the SPECT images of the phantom showed that the system with BGO crystal potentially provides a better detectability for hot
and cold lesions in the liver of XCAT phantom.
99m
CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that BGO crystal has a high sensitivity and resolution, and also provides a better lesion
detectability from the point of view of image quality on XCAT phantom. |