| Records |
| Author |
Torres-Espallardo, I.; Diblen, F.; Rohling, H.; Solevi, P.; Gillam, J.; Watts, D.; Espana, S.; Vandenberghe, S.; Fiedler, F.; Rafecas, M. |
| Title |
Evaluation of resistive-plate-chamber-based TOF-PET applied to in-beam particle therapy monitoring |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2015 |
Publication |
Physics in Medicine and Biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Phys. Med. Biol. |
| Volume |
60 |
Issue  |
9 |
Pages |
N187-N208 |
| Keywords |
PET; in-beam; RPC; particle therapy; TOF; range deviation; partial-ring |
| Abstract |
Particle therapy is a highly conformal radiotherapy technique which reduces the dose deposited to the surrounding normal tissues. In order to fully exploit its advantages, treatment monitoring is necessary to minimize uncertainties related to the dose delivery. Up to now, the only clinically feasible technique for the monitoring of therapeutic irradiation with particle beams is Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In this work we have compared a Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC)-based PET scanner with a scintillation-crystal-based PET scanner for this application. In general, the main advantages of the RPC-PET system are its excellent timing resolution, low cost, and the possibility of building large area systems. We simulated a partial-ring scannerbeam monitoring, which has an intrinsically low positron yield compared to diagnostic PET. In addition, for in-beam PET there is a further data loss due to the partial ring configuration. In order to improve the performance of the RPC-based scanner, an improved version of the RPC detector (modifying the thickness of the gas and glass layers), providing a larger sensitivity, has been simulated and compared with an axially extended version of the crystal-based device. The improved version of the RPC shows better performance than the prototype, but the extended version of the crystal-based PET outperforms all other options. based on an RPC prototype under construction within the Fondazione per Adroterapia Oncologica (TERA). For comparison with the crystal-based PET scanner we have chosen the geometry of a commercially available PET scanner, the Philips Gemini TF. The coincidence time resolution used in the simulations takes into account the current achievable values as well as expected improvements of both technologies. Several scenarios (including patient data) have been simulated to evaluate the performance of different scanners. Initial results have shown that the low sensitivity of the RPC hampers its application to hadron |
| Address |
[Torres-Espallardo, I.; Solevi, P.; Gillam, J.; Rafecas, M.] UV, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC, E-46071 Valencia, Spain, Email: irene.torres@uv.es |
| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Iop Publishing Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9155 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000354104700003 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
2227 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Oliver, J.F.; Rafecas, M. |
| Title |
Modelling Random Coincidences in Positron Emission Tomography by Using Singles and Prompts: A Comparison Study |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2016 |
Publication |
PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS ONE |
| Volume |
11 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
e0162096 - 22pp |
| Keywords |
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| Abstract |
Random coincidences degrade the image in Positron Emission Tomography, PET. To compensate for their degradation effects, the rate of random coincidences should be estimated. Under certain circumstances, current estimation methods fail to provide accurate results. We propose a novel method, “Singles-Prompts” (SP), that includes the information conveyed by prompt coincidences and models the pile-up. The SP method has the same structure than the well-known “Singles Rate” (SR) approach. Hence, SP can straightforwardly replace SR. In this work, the SP method has been extensively assessed and compared to two conventional methods, SR and the delayed window (DW) method, in a preclinical PET scenario using Monte-Carlo simulations. SP offers accurate estimates for the randoms rates, while SR and DW tend to overestimate the rates (similar to 10%, and 5%, respectively). With pile-up, the SP method is more robust than SR (but less than DW). At the image level, the contrast is overestimated in SR-corrected images, + 16%, while SP produces the correct value. Spill-over is slightly reduced using SP instead of SR. The DW images values are similar to those of SP except for low-statistic scenarios, where DW behaves as if randoms were not compensated for. In particular, the contrast is reduced, -16%. In general, the better estimations of SP translate into better image quality. |
| Address |
[Oliver, Josep F.; Rafecas, M.] Inst Fis Corpuscular IFIC UV CSIC, Valencia, Spain, Email: josep.f.oliver@uv.es |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Public Library Science |
Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1932-6203 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000383255200040 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
2825 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
[Cabello, Jorge; Rafecas, Magdalena] Univ Valencia, Inst Fis Corpuscular, CSIC, Valencia, Spain, Email: jorge.cabello@ific.uv.es |
| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Iop Publishing Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9155 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000302121000004 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
no |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
955 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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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 |
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| 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 |
[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 |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
Iop Publishing Ltd |
Place of Publication |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0031-9155 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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| Area |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000316181300024 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
no |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
1370 |
| Permanent link to this record |
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| Author |
Cabello, J.; Torres-Espallardo, I.; Gillam, J.E.; Rafecas, M. |
| Title |
PET Reconstruction From Truncated Projections Using Total-Variation Regularization for Hadron Therapy Monitoring |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2013 |
Publication |
IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. |
| Volume |
60 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
3364-3372 |
| Keywords |
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| Abstract |
Hadron therapy exploits the properties of ion beams to treat tumors by maximizing the dose released to the target and sparing healthy tissue. With hadron beams, the dose distribution shows a relatively low entrance dose which rises sharply at the end of the range, providing the characteristic Bragg peak that drops quickly thereafter. It is of critical importance in order not to damage surrounding healthy tissues and/or avoid targeting underdosage to know where the delivered dose profile ends-the location of the Bragg peak. During hadron therapy, short-lived beta(+)-emitters are produced along the beam path, their distribution being correlated with the delivered dose. Following positron annihilation, two photons are emitted, which can be detected using a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner. The low yield of emitters, their short half-life, and the wash out from the target region make the use of PET, even only a few minutes after hadron irradiation, a challenging application. In-beam PET represents a potential candidate to estimate the distribution of beta(+)-emitters during or immediately after irradiation, at the cost of truncation effects and degraded image quality due to the partial rings required of the PET scanner. Time-of-flight (ToF) information can potentially be used to compensate for truncation effects and to enhance image contrast. However, the highly demanding timing performance required in ToF-PET makes this option costly. Alternatively, the use of maximum-a-posteriori-expectation-maximization (MAP-EM), including total variation (TV) in the cost function, produces images with low noise, while preserving spatial resolution. In this paper, we compare data reconstructed with maximum-likelihood-expectation-maximization (ML-EM) and MAP-EM using TV as prior, and the impact of including ToF information, from data acquired with a complete and a partial-ring PET scanner, of simulated hadron beams interacting with a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) target. The results show that MAP-EM, in the absence of ToF information, produces lower noise images and more similar data compared to the simulated beta(+) distributions than ML-EM with ToF information in the order of 200-600 ps. The investigation is extended to the combination of MAP-EM and ToF information to study the limit of performance using both approaches. |
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Place of Publication |
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Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0018-9499 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
WOS:000325827200023 |
Approved |
no |
| Is ISI |
yes |
International Collaboration |
yes |
| Call Number |
IFIC @ pastor @ |
Serial |
1610 |
| Permanent link to this record |
