• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 2020

An MR-based attenuation correction (MRAC) map plays an important role in quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) image evaluation in PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. However, the MRAC map is affected by the magnetic field inhomogeneity of MRIs. This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of MRAC maps of physical phantoms on PET/MRI images. Phantom measurements were performed using the Siemens Biograph mMR. The modular type physical phantoms that provide assembly versatility for phantom construction were scanned in a four-channel Body Matrix coil. The MRAC map was generated using the two-point Dixon-based segmentation method for whole-body imaging. The modular phantoms were scanned in compact and non-compact assembly configurations. In addition, the phantoms were scanned repeatedly to generate MRAC maps. The acquired MRAC maps show differently assigned values for void areas. An incorrect assignment of a void area was shown on a locally compact space between phantoms. The assigned MRAC values were distorted using a wide field-of-view (FOV). The MRAC values also differed after repeated scans. However, the erroneous MRAC values appeared outside of phantom, except for a large FOV. The MRAC map of the phantom was affected by phantom configuration and the number of scans. A quantitative study using a phantom in a PET/MRI system should be performed after evaluation of the MRAC map characteristics.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2017

To assess the effects of filter and reconstruction of Cu-64 PET data on Siemens scanner, the various reconstruction algorithm with various filters were assessed in terms of spatial resolution, non-uniformity (NU), recovery coefficient (RC), and spillover ratio (SOR). Image reconstruction was performed using filtered backprojection (FBP), 2D ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM), 3D reprojection algorithm (3DRP), and maximum a posteriori algorithms (MAP). For the FBP reconstruction, ramp, butterworth, hamming, hanning, or parzen filters were used. Attenuation or scatter correction were performed to assess the effect of attenuation and scatter correction. Regarding spatial resolution, highest achievable volumetric resolution was $3.08mm^3$ at the center of FOV when MAP (${\beta}=0.1$) reconstruction method was used. SOR was below 4% for FBP when ramp, Hamming, Hanning, or Shepp-logan filter were used. The lowest NU (highest uniform) after attenuation & scatter correction was 5.39% when FBP (parzen filter) was used. Regarding RC, 0.9 < RC < 1.1 was obtained when OSEM (iteration: 10) was used when attenuation and scatter correction were applied. In this study, image quality of Cu-64 on Siemens Inveon PET was investigated. This data will helpful for the quantification of Cu-64 PET data.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2017

In this study, the characteristics of site amplification at seismic observation stations in Japan were estimated using the attenuation relationship of each station's response spectrum. Ground motion records observed after 32 earthquakes were employed to construct the attenuation relationship. The station correction factor at each KiK-net station was compared to the transfer functions between the base rock and the surface. For each station, the plot of the station correction factor versus the period was similar in shape to the graphs of the transfer function (amplitude ratio versus period). Therefore, the station correction factors are effective for evaluating site amplifications considering the period of ground shaking. In addition, the station correction factors were evaluated with respect to the average shear wave velocities using a geographic information system (GIS) dataset. Lastly, the site amplifications for specific periods were estimated throughout Japan.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2014

Purpose: Integrated PET/MRI has been developed recently has become a lot of help to the point oncologic, neological, cardiological nuclear medicine. By using this PET/MRI, a ${\mu}-map$ is created some special MRI sequence which may be divided parts of the body for attenuation correction. However, because an MRI contrast agent is necessary in order to obtain an more MRI information, we will evaluate to see an effect of SUV on PET image that corrected attenuation by MRI with contrast agent. Materials and Methods: As PET/MRI machine, Biograph mMR (Siemens, Germany) was used. For phantom test, 1mCi $^{18}F-FDG$ was injected in cylinderical uniformity phantom, and then acquire PET data about 10 minutes with VIBE-DIXON, UTE MRI sequence image for attenuation correction. T1 weighted contrast media, 4 cc DOTAREM (GUERBET, FRANCE) was injected in a same phatnom, and then PET data, MRI data were acquired by same methodes. Using this PET, non-contrast MRI and contrast MRI, it was reconstructed attenuation correction PET image, in which we evanuated the difference of SUVs. Additionally, for let a high desity of contrast media, 500 cc 2 plastic bottles were used. We injected $^{18}F-FDG$ with 5 cc DOTAREM in first bottle. At second bottle, only $^{18}F-FDG$ was injected. and then we evaluated a SUVs reconstructed by same methods. For clinical patient study, rectal caner-pancreas cancer patients were selected. we evaluated SUVs of PET image corrected attenuastion by contrast weighted MRI and non-contrast MRI. Results: For a phantom study, although VIBE DIXON MRI signal with contrast media is 433% higher than non-contrast media MRI, the signals intensity of ${\mu}-map$, attenuation corrected PET are same together. In case of high contrast media density, image distortion is appeared on ${\mu}-map$ and PET images. For clinical a patient study, VIBE DIXON MRI signal on lesion portion is increased in 495% by using DOTAREM. But there are no significant differences at ${\mu}-map$, non AC PET, AC-PET image whether using contrast media or not. In case of whole body PET/MRI study, %diff between contras and non contrast MRAC at lung, liver, renal cortex, femoral head, myocardium, bladder, muscle are -4.32%, -2.48%, -8.05%, -3.14%, 2.30%, 1.53%, 6.49% at each other. Conclusion: In integrated PET/MRI, a segmentation ${\mu}-map$ method is used for correcting attenuation of PET signal. although MRI signal for attenuation correciton change by using contrast media, ${\mu}-map$ will not change, and then MRAC PET signal will not change too. Therefore, MRI contrast media dose not affect for attenuation correction PET. As well, not only When we make a flow of PET/MRI protocol, order of PET and MRI sequence dose not matter, but It's possible to compare PET images before and after contrast agent injection.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.10-14
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• 2013

Purpose: Due to developed simultaneous PET/MRI, it has become possible to obtain more anatomical image information better than conventional PET/CT. By the way, in the PET/CT, the linear absorption coefficient is measured by X-ray directly. However in case of PET/MRI, the value is not measured from MRI images directly, but is calculated by dividing as 4 segmentation ${\mu}-map$. Therefore, in this paper, we will evaluate the SUV's difference of attenuation correction PET images from PET/MRI and PET/CT. Materials and Methods: Biograph mCT40 (Siemens, Germany), Biograph mMR were used as a PET/CT, PET/MRI scanner. For a phantom study, we used a solid type $^{68}Ge$ source, and a liquid type $^{18}F$ uniformity phantom. By using VIBE-DIXON sequence of PET/MRI, human anatomical structure was divided into air-lung-fat-soft tissue for attenuation correction coefficient. In case of PET/CT, the hounsfield unit of CT was used. By setting the ROI at five places of each PET phantom images that is corrected attenuation, the maximum SUV was measured, evaluated %diff about PET/CT vs. PET/MRI. In clinical study, the 18 patients who underwent simultaneous PET/CT and PET/MRI was selected and set the ROI at background, lung, liver, brain, muscle, fat, bone from the each attenuation correction PET images, and then evaluated, compared by measuring the maximum SUV. Results: For solid $^{68}Ge$ source, SUV from PET/MRI is measured lower 88.55% compared to PET/CT. In case of liquid $^{18}F$ uniform phantom, SUV of PET/MRI as compared to PET/CT is measured low 70.17%. If the clinical study, the background SUV of PET/MRI is same with PET/CT's and the one of lung was higher 2.51%. However, it is measured lower about 32.50, 40.35, 23.92, 13.92, 5.00% at liver, brain, muscle, fat, femoral head. Conclusion: In the case of a CT image, because there is a linear relationship between 511 keV ${\gamma}-ray$ and linear absorption coefficient of X-ray, it is possible to correct directly the attenuation of 511 keV ${\gamma}-ray$ by creating a ${\mu}$map from the CT image. However, in the case of the MRI, because the MRI signal has no relationship at all with linear absorption coefficient of ${\gamma}-ray$, the anatomical structure of the human body is divided into four segmentations to correct the attenuation of ${\gamma}-rays$. Even a number of protons in a bone is too low to make MRI signal and to localize segmentation of ${\mu}-map$. Therefore, to develope a proper sequence for measuring more accurate attenuation coefficient is indeed necessary in the future PET/MRI.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.96-99
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to assess attenuation correction algorithms utilized in a multipurpose whole-body GSO PET scanner. Four different types of phantoms were tested using different types of attenuation correction techniques. FOV (Field of View) of 256mm was used for brain PET imaging. For compensating attenuation, transmission data of a $^{137}$Cs point source were acquired after the F-18 emission source was infused to the phantoms. Scatter correction were peformed. Reconstructed images of the phantoms were assessed. In addition, reconstructed images of a normal subject were compared and assessed by nuclear medicine physicians. As a result, decreased intensity at the central portion of the attenuation map with cylindrical phantom was noticed during use of the measured attenuation correction. On the other hand, segmentation or remapping attenuation correction provided uniform phantom image. the images reconstructed from the clinical brain data explained the attenuation of a skull, at though reconstructed images of the phantoms couldn't explain it. in conclusion, the complicated and improved attenuation correction methods were required to obtain the better accuracy of the quantitative brain PET images. Our study will be useful in improving quantitative brain PET imaging modalities with attenuation correction of $^{137}$Cs transmission source.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.3-7
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• 2014

Purpose SPECT/CT scan to be performed attenuation correction on the basis of CT induce an overestimation of the site due to the beam hardening artifact by metal cover and reduce the images quality. Therefore, this study using a phantom that has been inserted artificial hip joint investigated that effect on the SPECT/CT image causing by metal artifact for varying the parameters of the Attenuation Map. Materials and Methods Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT equipment was used. Artificial hip joint was inserted to SPECT/PET phantom, 17 mm sphere of Bright Streak area in CT image was filled with Tc-99m so that the radiation activity was 8 times compared to background. And then Hot and Background was measured in varying Wide Beam Coefficient on Attenuation Map and RBR (Region to Background Ratio) of Metal and Non-Metal was calculated and analyzed depending on the presence or absence of the hip joint. Results It tended to hot count of Non-Metal and Metal to increase as the value of the manual mode is increased, hot count ratio with the group of both manual mode 0.5 and 0.4 is the best match. Also, in automatic mode, the ratio of RBRNon-Metal and RBRMetal was 1.135, statistically significant difference was not observed in the manual mode 0.5 and 0.4. Conclusion In the automatic mode of Wide Beam Coefficient in attenuation correction map, it was found that it is over-correction by 13.52%, it was possible to minimize the over-correction by the artifact in 0.5 and 0.4 of manual mode. Further studies should be performed in order to apply to a patient with the help of this and it is considered possible to reduce the over-correction by the metal artifact of an artificial hip joint for Hip-Resurfacing Arthroplasty patients, and to improve the diagnostic performance.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.267-276
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• 2018

A Hoffman 3D Brain Phantom was used to evaluate two PET/CT scanners, BIO_40 and D_690, according to the radiation dose of CT (low, medium and high) at a fixed kilo-voltage-peak (kVp) with the tube current(mA) varied in 17~20 stages(Bio_40 PET/CT scanner: the tube voltage was fixed to 120 kVp, the effective tube current(mAs) was increased from 33 mAs to 190 mAs in 10 mAs increments, D_690 PET/CT scanner: the tube voltage was fixed to 140 kVp, tube current(mA) was increased from 10 mAs to 200 mAs in 10 mAs increments). After obtaining the PET image, an attenuation correction was conducted based on the attenuation map, which led to an analysis of the difference in the image. First, the ratio of white to gray matter for each scanner was examined by comparing the coefficient of variation (CV) depending on the average ratio. In addition, a blind test was carried out to evaluate the image. According to the study results, the BIO_40 and D_690 scanners showed a <1% change in CV value due to the tube current conversion. The change in the coefficients of white and gray matter showed that the Z value was negative for both scanners, indicating that the coefficient of gray matter was higher than that of white matter. Moreover, no difference was observed when the images were compared in a blind test.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2007

Purpose: It was reported that CT-based measured attenuation correction (CT-MAC) produced radioactivity concentration values significantly higher than $^{68}Ge$-based segmented attenuation correction (Ge-SAC) in PET images. However, it was unknown whether the radioactivity concentration difference resulted from different sources (CT vs. Ge) or types (MAC vs. SAC) of attenuation correction (AC). We evaluated the influences of the source and type of AC on the radioactivity concentration differences between reconstructed PET images in normal subjects and patients. Material and Methods: Five normal subjects and 35 patients with a known or suspected cancer underwent $^{18}F-FDG$ PET/CT. In each subject, attenuation corrected PET images using OSEM algorithm (28 subsets, 2 iterations) were reconstructed by 4 methods: CT-MAC, CT-SAC, Ge-MAC, and Ge-SAC. The physiological uptake in normal subjects and pathological uptake in patients were quantitatively compared between the PET images according to the source and type of AC. Results: The SUVs of physiological uptake measured in CT-MAC PET images were significantly higher than other 3 differently corrected PET images. Maximum SUVs of the 145 foci with abnormal FDG uptake in CT-MAC images were significantly highest among 4 differently corrected PET images with a difference of 2.4% to 5.1% (p<0.001). The SUVs of pathological uptake in Ge-MAC images were significantly higher than those in CT-SAC and Ge-MAC PET images (p<0.001). Conclusion: Quantitative radioactivity values were highest in CT-MAC PET images. The adoption of MAC may make a more contribution than the adoption of CT attenuation map to such differences.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.100-103
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• 2004

Experiments and simulation were done to study the impact of contrast agent when CT scan was used to attenuation correction for PET images in PET/CT system. Whole body phantom was imaged with various concentration of iodine-based contrast agent using CT. Mathematical emission and transmission density map with liver were made to simulate for whole body FDG imaging. Various transmission density maps was generated with non-uniform enhancement of contrast agent, hypo-attenuating of contrast agent for tumor, different concentration of contrast agent, and so on. Attenuation correction was done with all transmission maps. In the experiments, we confirmed that attenuation coefficient was changed by concentration of contrast agent. From the simulation data, image quality of attenuation corrected images was affected by contrast agent and artifact was produced by contrast agent. These results indicated that the contrast agent should be used with a full understanding of its potential problem in PET/CT system.