Accurate Monte Carlo Modeling of Small-Animal Multi-Pinhole SPECT for Non-Standard Multi-Isotope Applications

Recent advances in preclinical SPECT instrumentation enable non-standard multi-isotope acquisitions at the edge of physical feasibility to improve efficiency of pharmaceutical research. Due to the variety of applications, optimization of imaging hardware, acquisition protocols and reconstruction alg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on medical imaging 2021-09, Vol.40 (9), p.2208-2220
Main Authors: Lukas, Mathias, Kluge, Anne, Beindorff, Nicola, Brenner, Winfried
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Collimators
Detectors
Energy spectra
GATE/GEANT4
Head
Image reconstruction
Imaging
Instrumentation
Logic gates
Monte Carlo methods
Monte Carlo simulation
multi-isotope
multi-pinhole
Noise levels
Optimization
Pinholes
Response functions
Signal processing
Single photon emission computed tomography
SPECT
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Summary:Recent advances in preclinical SPECT instrumentation enable non-standard multi-isotope acquisitions at the edge of physical feasibility to improve efficiency of pharmaceutical research. Due to the variety of applications, optimization of imaging hardware, acquisition protocols and reconstruction algorithms is a central and recurring task. For this purpose, we developed a Monte Carlo simulation model of a preclinical state-of-the-art multi-pinhole SPECT system, the NanoSPECT/CT PLUS , with emphasis on high accuracy for multi-isotope experiments operating near the system range limits. The GATE/ GEANT4 model included an accurate description of multi-pinhole collimators and all substructures of the detector back compartment. The readout electronics was modeled with a variety of signal processors partially extended to incorporate non-simplified measured response functions. The final model was able to predict energy spectra, planar images and tomographic reconstructions with high accuracy for both standard and non-standard multi-isotope experiments. Complex activity distributions could be reproduced for a wide range of noise levels and different modes of angular undersampling. Using the example of a dual-isotope triple-tracer experiment, the model has proven to be a powerful tool for protocol optimization and quantitative image correction at the performance range limits of multi-isotope multi-pinhole SPECT.
ISSN:0278-0062
1558-254X
DOI:10.1109/TMI.2021.3073749