• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.60-64
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• 2011

Purpose: The brain perfusion SPECT is the examination which is able to know adversity information related brain disorder. But brain perfusion SPECT has also high failure rates by patient's motions. In this case, we have to use two days method and patients put up with many disadvantages. We think that we don't use two days method in brain perfusion SPECT, if we can use registration method. So this study has led to look over registration method applications in brain perfusion SPECT. Materials and Methods: Jaszczak, Hoffman and cylindrical phantoms were used for acquiring SPECT image data on varying degree in x, y, z axes. The phantoms were filled with $^{99m}Tc$ solution that consisted of a radioactive concentration of 111 MBq/mL. Phantom images were acquired through scanning for 5 sec long per frame by using Triad XLT9 triple head gamma camera (TRIONIX, USA). We painted the ROI of registration image in brain data. So we calculated the ROIratio which was different original image counts and registration image counts. Results: When carring out the experiments under the same condition, total counts differential was from 3.5% to 5.7% (mean counts was from 3.4% to 6.8%) in phantom and patients data. In addition, we also run the experiments in the double activity condition. Total counts differential was from 2.6% to 4.9% (mean counts was from 4.1% to 4.9%) in phantom and patients data. Conclusion: We can know that original and registration data are little different in image analysis. If we use the image registration method, we can improve disadvantage of two days method in brain perfusion SPECT. But we must consider image registration about the distance differences in x, y, z axes.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2013

Purpose: Whole-body PET using radiopharmaceutical is one of the imaging study methods for physiological changes of body. High specificity of the PET-CT examination is used to detect an early stages of cancer and metastatic cancer by imaging a physiological changes. During the imaging process, PET image has been characterized by a relatively low image quality due to its low sensitivity and the acquisition of random and scatter coincidences as well as patients figure. Therefore, the image quality as the changes of the acquisition times of patient weight was evaluated in this study. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients who presented to our hospital were enrolled. They were divided to normal, overweight, and obese group using BMI index, respectively. The patients with a liver disease and diabetes were excluded. $^{18}F-FDG$ was administered to the patients as 5.2 MBq per kg. After an hour from an injection, image acquisition was obtained as List mode in a part of liver in 1 bed. SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) of each groups acquisition times were confirmed from the calculated radiation counts and random fractions. The statistical significance of three groups was confirmed through one-way ANOVA test. On the basis of the counts of 2 minutes on normal group, the SNR of overweight group and obese group were compared. Results: The SNR were increased with loger aquisition time in 3 groups. In the condition of same acquisition time, the SNR had a statistical significance (P<0.05). The SNR were decreased to the normal, overweight, and obese, respectively. Liver activity had no significance difference on each group and RF had the significance differences (P<0.05). On the basis of the counts of 2 minutes on normal group, there were no statistical significance in a three minute acquisitions of overweight group and two minute acquisitions of obese group (P=0.150). Conclusion: In this study, the administrated amount of radiation dose did not adjust as the change of the patients weight. Increasing the acquisition time when the administration of the same amount of dose was able to get a good result of SNR. When the Based 2 minute on normal group, if overweight and obese case the increased acquisition time of 3 minute was able to obtain a similar SNR. On the basis of the normal group, the acquisition times of overweight and obese group were increased to 3 minutes per bed and the SNR were similar to the normal group.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.118-126
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• 2008

Statistical image reconstruction methods have played an important role in emission computed tomography (ECT) since they accurately model the statistical noise associated with gamma-ray projection data. Although the use of statistical methods in clinical practice in early days was of a difficult problem due to high per-iteration costs and large numbers of iterations, with the development of fast algorithms and dramatically improved speed of computers, it is now inevitably becoming more practical. Some statistical methods are indeed commonly available from nuclear medicine equipment suppliers. In this paper, we first describe a mathematical background for statistical reconstruction methods, which includes assumptions underlying the Poisson statistical model, maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori approaches, and prior models in the context of a Bayesian framework. We then review a recent progress in developing fast iterative algorithms.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.255-257
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• 2007

A 59-year-old man with thymic carcinoma underwent Tc-99m MIBI myocardial SPECT, and Tc-99m MIBI uptake in the mass was unexpectedly found in a planar image. SPECT images of the thorax showed an increased uptake area with central photon deficiency (a ring-like appearance), which reflected central tumor irreversible ischemia or progressing necrosis with peripheral viable tumor tissue.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.146-149
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• 2005

Various stem cells or progenitor cells are being used to treat cardiovascular disease in ischemic heart disease, stem ceil therapy is expected to regenerate damaged myocardium. To evaluate effects of stem cell treatment, the method to image stem cell location, distribution and differentiation is necessary. Optical imaging, MRI, nuclear imaging methods have been used for tracking stem cells. The methods and proglems of each imaging technique are reviewed.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2022

Purpose ¹⁸F-Florbetaben (FBB) Readings are made by visually comparing the signal strengths of gray matter and white matter. We intend to evaluate the usefulness of image analysis by comparing quantified image analysis with readout. Materials and Methods Based on the reading results, 100 patients were divided into a negative scan and a positive scan, and 300 MBq of FBB was injected, and images were taken 90 minutes later for 20 minutes. The equipment was a Discovery 600 (GE Healthcare, MI, USA). Four regions of interest (lateral temporal lobes, frontal lobes, posterior cingulate & precuneus, and parietal lobes) were established based on the amyloid reading standard provided by the manufacturer. For image analysis, SUVratio (SUVr) was calculated by dividing each SUVmean by the cerebellum, and the average SUVr in the entire area was performed. Statistical analysis analyzed the cutoff derivation through ROC Curve, the difference between groups in Independent sample t-test, and the degree of agreement with the reading result through Kappa test. Results The average SUVr cutoff in the entire area was 1.23. Concordance with the read results using cutoff was 95/100 (95%) for negative and 92/100 (92%) for positive. As a result of the t-test, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups (P < 0.05), and the Kappa statistical result showed a high degree of agreement with 0.867 (P < 0.05). Conclusion The results of image analysis were statistically significant and showed a high degree of agreement with the reading results. In addition, FBB image analysis can be viewed by 3D mapping the area where amyloid is accumulated, location estimation is possible, and quantitative analysis results can be viewed in detail. If quantified FBB image analysis is used as an auxiliary indicator, it is thought to be helpful in reading.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.443-450
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• 2009

Purpose: Conventional image reconstruction uses simplified physical models of projection. However, real physics, for example 3D reconstruction, takes too long time to process all the data in clinic and is unable in a common reconstruction machine because of the large memory for complex physical models. We suggest the realistic distributed memory model of fast-reconstruction using parallel processing on personal computers to enable large-scale technologies. Materials and Methods: The preliminary tests for the possibility on virtual manchines and various performance test on commercial super computer, Tachyon were performed. Expectation maximization algorithm with common 2D projection and realistic 3D line of response were tested. Since the process time was getting slower (max 6 times) after a certain iteration, optimization for compiler was performed to maximize the efficiency of parallelization. Results: Parallel processing of a program on multiple computers was available on Linux with MPICH and NFS. We verified that differences between parallel processed image and single processed image at the same iterations were under the significant digits of floating point number, about 6 bit. Double processors showed good efficiency (1.96 times) of parallel computing. Delay phenomenon was solved by vectorization method using SSE. Conclusion: Through the study, realistic parallel computing system in clinic was established to be able to reconstruct by plenty of memory using the realistic physical models which was impossible to simplify.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.252-254
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• 2007

Image fusion is fast catching attention as Wagner pointed out in his 2006 version of the recent progress and development presented at the annual meeting of Society of Nuclear Medicine. Prototypical fusion of bone scan and radiograph was already attempted at in 1961 when Fleming et al. published an article on strontium-85 bone scan. They simply superimposed dot scan on radiograph enabling simultaneous assessment of altered bone metabolism and local bone anatomy. Indeed the parallel reading of images of bone scan and radiography, CT, MRI or ultrasonography has been practiced in nuclear medicine long since. It is fortunate that recent development of computer science and technology along with the availability of refined CT and SPECT machines has permitted us to open a new avenue to digitally produce precise fusion image so that they can readily be read, exchanged and disseminated using internet. Ten years ago fusion was performed using Bresstrahlung SPECT/CT and it is now achievable by PET/CT and SPECT/CT software and SPECT/CT hardware. The merit of image fusion is its feasibility of reliable assessment of morphological and metabolic change. It is now applicable not only to stationary organs such as brain and skeleton but also to moving organs such as the heart, lung and stomach. Recently, we could create useful fusion image of cardiac SPECT and 64-channel CT angiograph. The former provided myocardial metabolic profile and the latter vascular narrowing in two patients with coronary artery stenosis and myocardial ischemia. Arterial stenosis was severe in Case 1 and mild in Case 2.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-45
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• 2018

Purpose In this study, we evaluated image by applying with and without point spread function algorithm(PSF) according to reconstruction type. Materials and Methods Biograph mMR (Siemens, Germany) was used as PET/MR scanner. For phantom study, we used NEMA IEC Body phantom maintaining radioactivity ratio (hotsphere:background = 8:1). To evaluate phantom image quality, percent contrast recovery and signal to noise ratio (SNR) were used by drawing ROI to 4 spheres. In clinical study, the 20 patients who underwent simultaneous PET/MR was selected and set the ROI at liver. we evaluated images as SNR. Results In the phantom results, The percent contrast recovery applying PSF algoritm was high 5 % compared to without PSF algoritm and SNR was also high 11 %. In the clinical study result, we confirmed that The SNR applying PSF algoritm was high 5 % compared to without PSF algoritm. Conclusion We need to simulate a lot of phantom study and clinical analysis to improve image quality for PET/MRI.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.81-81
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• 2008

A 69-year old male with cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) was assigned to our department for whole body PET/CT scan. $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT images showed an intense hypermetabolic lobulating mass(SUVmax = 8.7 / size : 11.4 mm) in the right hepatic lobe with multiple metastatic lung nodules. We made three dimensional volume rendering fusion images by using advantage workstation 4.3 (GE health care) which provide quick anatomic overview and improve the planning process significantly.