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Author Brzezinski, K.; Oliver, J.F.; Gillam, J.; Rafecas, M.; Studen, A.; Grkovski, M.; Kagan, H.; Smith, S.; Llosa, G.; Lacasta, C.; Clinthorne, N.H.
Title Experimental evaluation of the resolution improvement provided by a silicon PET probe Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 11 Issue Pages P09016 - 13pp
Keywords Gamma camera; SPECT; PET PET/CT; coronary CT angiography (CTA); Medical-image reconstruction methods and algorithms; computer-aided software
Abstract A high-resolution PET system, which incorporates a silicon detector probe into a conventional PET scanner, has been proposed to obtain increased image quality in a limited region of interest. Detailed simulation studies have previously shown that the additional probe information improves the spatial resolution of the reconstructed image and increases lesion detectability, with no cost to other image quality measures. The current study expands on the previous work by using a laboratory prototype of the silicon PET-probe system to examine the resolution improvement in an experimental setting. Two different versions of the probe prototype were assessed, both consisting of a back-to-back pair of 1-mm thick silicon pad detectors, one arranged in 32 x 16 arrays of 1.4mm x 1.4mm pixels and the other in 40 x 26 arrays of 1.0mm x 1.0mm pixels. Each detector was read out by a set of VATAGP7 ASICs and a custom-designed data acquisition board which allowed trigger and data interfacing with the PET scanner, itself consisting of BGO block detectors segmented into 8 x 6 arrays of 6mm x 12mm x 30mm crystals. Limited-angle probe data was acquired from a group of Na-22 point-like sources in order to observe the maximum resolution achievable using the probe system. Data from a Derenzo-like resolution phantom was acquired, then scaled to obtain similar statistical quality as that of previous simulation studies. In this case, images were reconstructed using measurements of the PET ring alone and with the inclusion of the probe data. Images of the Na-22 source demonstrated a resolution of 1.5mm FWHM in the probe data, the PET ring resolution being approximately 6 mm. Profiles taken through the image of the Derenzo-like phantom showed a clear increase in spatial resolution. Improvements in peak-to-valley ratios of 50% and 38%, in the 4.8mm and 4.0mm phantom features respectively, were observed, while previously unresolvable 3.2mm features were brought to light by the addition of the probe. These results support the possibility of improving the image resolution of a clinical PET scanner using the silicon PET-probe.
Address (up) [Brzezinski, K.; Oliver, J. F.; Gillam, J.; Rafecas, M.; Llosa, G.; Lacasta, C.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, C Catedrat Jose Beltran 2, Valencia, Spain, Email: k.w.brzezinski@rug.nl
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000387862300016 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 2865
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Author Brzezinski, K.; Oliver, J.F.; Gillam, J.; Rafecas, M.
Title Study of a high-resolution PET system using a Silicon detector probe Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.
Volume 59 Issue 20 Pages 6117-6140
Keywords PET; high-resolution imaging; Si detectors; PET insert
Abstract A high-resolution silicon detector probe, in coincidence with a conventional PET scanner, is expected to provide images of higher quality than those achievable using the scanner alone. Spatial resolution should improve due to the finer pixelization of the probe detector, while increased sensitivity in the probe vicinity is expected to decrease noise. A PET-probe prototype is being developed utilizing this principle. The system includes a probe consisting of ten layers of silicon detectors, each a 80 x 52 array of 1 x 1 x 1 mm(3) pixels, to be operated in coincidence with a modern clinical PET scanner. Detailed simulation studies of this system have been performed to assess the effect of the additional probe information on the quality of the reconstructed images. A grid of point sources was simulated to study the contribution of the probe to the system resolution at different locations over the field of view (FOV). A resolution phantom was used to demonstrate the effect on image resolution for two probe positions. A homogeneous source distribution with hot and cold regions was used to demonstrate that the localized improvement in resolution does not come at the expense of the overall quality of the image. Since the improvement is constrained to an area close to the probe, breast imaging is proposed as a potential application for the novel geometry. In this sense, a simplified breast phantom, adjacent to heart and torso compartments, was simulated and the effect of the probe on lesion detectability, through measurements of the local contrast recovery coefficient-to-noise ratio (CNR), was observed. The list-mode ML-EM algorithm was used for image reconstruction in all cases. As expected, the point spread function of the PET-probe system was found to be non-isotropic and vary with position, offering improvement in specific regions. Increase in resolution, of factors of up to 2, was observed in the region close to the probe. Images of the resolution phantom showed visible improvement in resolution when including the probe in the simulations. The image quality study demonstrated that contrast and spill-over ratio in other areas of the FOV were not sacrificed for this enhancement. The CNR study performed on the breast phantom indicates increased lesion detectability provided by the probe.
Address (up) [Brzezinski, K.; Oliver, J. F.; Gillam, J.; Rafecas, M.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, E-46980 Valencia, Spain, Email: brzezinski@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-9155 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000343092300011 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1963
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Cabello, J.; Rafecas, M.
Title Comparison of basis functions for 3D PET reconstruction using a Monte Carlo system matrix Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.
Volume 57 Issue 7 Pages 1759-1777
Keywords
Abstract In emission tomography, iterative statistical methods are accepted as the reconstruction algorithms that achieve the best image quality. The accuracy of these methods relies partly on the quality of the system response matrix (SRM) that characterizes the scanner. The more physical phenomena included in the SRM, the higher the SRM quality, and therefore higher image quality is obtained from the reconstruction process. High-resolution small animal scanners contain as many as 10(3)-10(4) small crystal pairs, while the field of view (FOV) is divided into hundreds of thousands of small voxels. These two characteristics have a significant impact on the number of elements to be calculated in the SRM. Monte Carlo (MC) methods have gained popularity as a way of calculating the SRM, due to the increased accuracy achievable, at the cost of introducing some statistical noise and long simulation times. In the work presented here the SRM is calculated using MC methods exploiting the cylindrical symmetries of the scanner, significantly reducing the simulation time necessary to calculate a high statistical quality SRM and the storage space necessary. The use of cylindrical symmetries makes polar voxels a convenient basis function. Alternatively, spherically symmetric basis functions result in improved noise properties compared to cubic and polar basis functions. The quality of reconstructed images using polar voxels, spherically symmetric basis functions on a polar grid, cubic voxels and post-reconstruction filtered polar and cubic voxels is compared from a noise and spatial resolution perspective. This study demonstrates that polar voxels perform as well as cubic voxels, reducing the simulation time necessary to calculate the SRM and the disk space necessary to store it. Results showed that spherically symmetric functions outperform polar and cubic basis functions in terms of noise properties, at the cost of slightly degraded spatial resolution, larger SRM file size and longer reconstruction times. However, we demonstrate that post-reconstruction smoothing, usually applied in emission imaging to reduce the level of noise, can produce a spatial resolution degradation of similar to 50%, while spherically symmetric basis functions produce a degradation of only similar to 6%, compared to polar and cubic voxels, at the same noise level. Therefore, the image quality trade-off obtained with blobs is higher than that obtained with cubic or polar voxels.
Address (up) [Cabello, Jorge; Rafecas, Magdalena] Univ Valencia, Inst Fis Corpuscular, CSIC, Valencia, Spain, Email: jorge.cabello@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-9155 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000302121000004 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 955
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Author Beltrame, P. et al; Oliver, J.F.; Rafecas, M.; Solevi, P.
Title The AX-PET demonstrator-Design, construction and characterization Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research A Abbreviated Journal Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A
Volume 654 Issue 1 Pages 546-559
Keywords PET; Axial geometry; Geiger-mode Avalanche Photo Diodes (G-APD); SiPM
Abstract Axial PET is a novel geometrical concept for Positron Emission Tomography (PET), based on layers of long scintillating crystals axially aligned with the bore axis. The axial coordinate is obtained from arrays of wavelength shifting (WLS) plastic strips placed orthogonally to the crystals. This article describes the design, construction and performance evaluation of a demonstrator set-up which consists of two identical detector modules, used in coincidence. Each module comprises 48 LYSO crystals of 100 mm length and 156 WLS strips. Crystals and strips are readout by Geiger-mode Avalanche Photo Diodes (G-APDs). The signals from the two modules are processed by fully analog front-end electronics and recorded in coincidence by a VME-based data acquisition system. Measurements with point-like (22)Na sources, with the modules used both individually and in coincidence mode, allowed for a complete performance evaluation up to the focal plane reconstruction of point sources. The results obtained are in good agreement with expectations and proved the set-up to be ready for the next evaluation phase with PET phantoms filled with radiotracers.
Address (up) [Casella, C; Dissertori, G; Djambazov, L; Lustermann, W; Nessi-Tedaldi, F; Pauss, F; Renker, D; Schinzel, D] ETH, Inst Particle Phys, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland, Email: Chiara.Casella@cern.ch
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Elsevier Science Bv Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0168-9002 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000295765100078 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 790
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Author Gillam, J.E.; Solevi, P.; Oliver, J.F.; Rafecas, M.
Title Simulated one-pass list-mode: an approach to on-the-fly system matrix calculation Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.
Volume 58 Issue 7 Pages 2377-2394
Keywords
Abstract In the development of prototype systems for positron emission tomography a valid and robust image reconstruction algorithm is required. However, prototypes often employ novel detector and system geometries which may change rapidly under optimization. In addition, developing systems generally produce highly granular, or possibly continuous detection domains which require some level of on-the-fly calculation for retention of measurement precision. In this investigation a new method of on-the-fly system matrix calculation is proposed that provides advantages in application to such list-mode systems in terms of flexibility in system modeling. The new method is easily adaptable to complicated system geometries and available computational resources. Detection uncertainty models are used as random number generators to produce ensembles of possible photon trajectories at image reconstruction time for each datum in the measurement list. However, the result of this approach is that the system matrix elements change at each iteration in a non-repetitive manner. The resulting algorithm is considered the simulation of a one-pass list (SOPL) which is generated and the list traversed during image reconstruction. SOPL alters the system matrix in use at each iteration and so behavior within the maximum likelihood-expectation maximization algorithm was investigated. A two-pixel system and a small two dimensional imaging model are used to illustrate the process and quantify aspects of the algorithm. The two-dimensional imaging system showed that, while incurring a penalty in image resolution, in comparison to a non-random equal-computation counterpart, SOPL provides much enhanced noise properties. In addition, enhancement in system matrix quality is straightforward (by increasing the number of samples in the ensemble) so that the resolution penalty can be recovered when desired while retaining improvement in noise properties. Finally the approach is tested and validated against a standard (highly accurate) system matrix using experimental data from a prototype system-the AX-PET.
Address (up) [Gillam, J. E.; Solevi, P.; Oliver, J. F.; Rafecas, M.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, IFIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, Valencia, Spain, Email: john.gillam@ific.uv.es
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-9155 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000316181300024 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration no
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1370
Permanent link to this record