• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.17-21
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• 2016

Heterogeneity assessment of tumor in oncology is important for diagnosis of cancer and therapy. The aim of this study was performed assess heterogeneity tumor region in PET image using texture analysis. For assessment of heterogeneity tumor in PET image, we inserted sphere phantom in torso phantom. Cu-64 labeled radioisotope was administrated by 156.84 MBq in torso phantom. PET/CT image was acquired by PET/CT scanner (Discovery 710, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI). The texture analysis of PET images was calculated using occurrence probability of gray level co-occurrence matrix. Energy and entropy is one of results of texture analysis. We performed the texture analysis in tumor, liver, and background. Assessment textural features of region-of-interest (ROI) in torso phantom used in-house software. We calculated the textural features of torso phantom in PET image using texture analysis. Calculated entropy in tumor, liver, and background were 5.322, 7.639, and 7.818. The further study will perform assessment of heterogeneity using clinical tumor PET image.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2012

Purpose : Combined MR/PET scanners that use the MRI for PET AC face the challenge of absent surface coils in MR images and thus cannot directly account for attenuation in the coils. To make up for the weak point of MR attenuation correction, Three Modality System (PET/CT +MR) were used in Severance hospital. The goal of this work was to investigate the effects of MR Torso Coil on CT attenuation correction for PET. Materials and Methods : PET artifacts were evaluated when the MR Torso Coil was present of CTAC data with changing various kV and mA in uniformity water phantom and 1994 NEMA cylinderical phantom. They evaluated and compared the following two scenarios: (1) The uniform cylinder phantom and the MR Torso Coil scanned and reconstructed using CT-AC; (2) 1994 NEMA cylinderical phantom and the MR Torso Coil scanned and reconstructed using CT-AC. Results : Streak artifacts were present in CT images containing the MR Torso Coil due to metal components. These artifacts persisted after the CT images were converted for PET-AC. CT scans tended to over-estimate the linear attenuation coefficient when the kV and mA is increasing of the metal components when using conventional methods for converting from CT number. Conclusion : The presence of MR coils during PET/CT scanning can cause subtle artifacts and potentially important quantification errors. Alternative CT techniques that mitigate artifacts should be used to improve AC accuracy. When possible, removing segments of an MR coil prior to the PET/CT exam is recommended. Further, MR coils could be redesigned to reduce artifacts by rearranging placement of the most attenuating materials.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2015

Purpose Various methods for reducing radiation exposure have been continuously being developed. The aim of this study is to evaluate effectiveness of dose reduction, image quality and PET SUV changes by applying combination of automatic exposure dose(AEC), automated dose-optimized selection of X-ray tube voltage(CAREkV) and sinogram affirmed iterative reconstruction(SAFIRE) which can be controled by user. Materials and Methods Torso, AAPM CT performance and IEC body phantom images were acquired using biograph mCT64, (Siemens, Germany) PET/CT scanner. Standard CT condition was 120 kV, 40 mAs. Radiation exposure and noise were evaluated by applying AEC, CAREkV(120 kV, 40 mAs) and SAFIRE(120 kV, 25 mAs) with torso phantom compare to standard CT condition. And torso, AAPM and IEC phantom images were acquired with combination of 3 methods in condition of 120 kV, 25 mAs to evaluate radiation exposure, noise, spatial resolution and SUV changes. Results When applying AEC, CTDIvol and DLP were decreased by 50.52% and 50.62% compare to images which is not applying AEC. mAs was increased by 61.5% to compensate image quality according to decreasing 20 kV when applying CAREkV. However, CTDIvol and DLP were decreased by 6.2% and 5.5%. When reference mAs was the lower and strength was the higher, reduction of radiation exposure rate was the bigger. Mean SD and DLP were decreased by 2.2% and 38% when applying SAFIRE even though mAs was decreased by 37.5%(from 40 mAs to 25 mAs). Combination of 3 methods test, SD decreased by 5.17% and there was no significant differences in spatial resolution. And mean SD and DLP were decreased by 6.7% and 36.9% compare to 120 kV, 40 mAs with AEC. For SUV test, there was no statistical differences(P>0.05). Conclusion Combination of 3 methods shows dose reduction effect without degrading image quality and SUV changes. To reduce radiation exposure in PET/CT study, continuous effort is needed by optimizing various dose reduction methods.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.78-83
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• 2013

Purpose: SPECT/CT, a combination of SPECT and CT, is capable of expressing the results of attenuation correction on images biased by automatic program. As a result, this research evaluates the usefulness of images with CT attenuation correction, using various phantoms and images of patients. Materials and Methods: From July of 2012 to September of 2012, this research was conducted on the contrast, spatial resolution, and images of patients. We studied the contrast with IEC body phantom and Jaszczak phantom, while the spatial resolution was evaluated with NEMA triple line phantom. Further, a comparative study was carried out on the quality of the images, on the difference between the images before and after the CT attenuation correction. Results: Compared the differences between the contrast before and after the CT attenuation correction in IEC body phantom. The contrast was improved by 33.6% at minimum, 89.8% at maximum. In case of Jaszczak Phantom, the contrast was enhanced by 9.9% at minimum, 27.8% at maximum. In NEMA Triple line phantom, the resolution was raised by 4.5% in average: 4.4% in horizontal, 4.5% in vertical. In Anthropomorphic Torso Phantom, the perfusion score of the interior wall with the most severe attenuation was measured to be 29.4%. In the experiment carried out on myocardial perfusion SPECT/CT patients, 9% improvement was discovered in the interior wall, where the most dramatic attenuation occurred, after the CT attenuation correction. Conclusion: SPECT/CT proved its clinical usefulness by enabling the acquisition of images with enhanced contrast and spatial resolution compare to the ones resulted from SPECT.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.28-32
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• 2014

Purpose Patient motion during myocardial perfusion SPECT can produce images that show visual artifacts and perfusion defects. This artifacts and defects remain a significant source of unsatisfactory myocardial perfusion SPECT. Motion correction has been developed as a way to correct and detect the patient motion for reducing artifacts and defects, and each motion correction uses different algorithm. We corrected simulated motion patterns with several motion correction methods and compared those images. Materials and Methods Phantom study was performed. The anthropomorphic torso phantom was made with equal counts from patient's body and simulated defect was added in myocardium phantom for to observe the change in defect. Vertical motion was intentionally generated by moving phantom downward in a returning pattern and in a non-returning pattern throughout the acquisition. In addition, Lateral motion was generated by moving phantom upward in a returning pattern and in a non-returning pattern. The simulated motion patterns were detected and corrected similarly to no-motion pattern image and QPS score, after Motion Detection and Correction Method (MDC), stasis, Hopkins method were applied. Results In phantom study, Changes of perfusion defect were shown in the anterior wall by the simulated phantom motions, and inferior wall's defect was found in some situations. The changes derived from motion were corrected by motion correction methods, but Hopkins and Stasis method showed visual artifact, and this visual artifact did not affect to perfusion score. Conclusion It was confirmed that motion correction method is possible to reduce the motion artifact and artifactual perfusion defect, through the apply on the phantom tests. Motion Detection and Correction Method (MDC) performed better than other method with polar map image and perfusion score result.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.134-139
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• 2014

Purpose: Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) technique is a reconstruction method of CT image using statistical noise modeling which is known to reduce image noise and to preserve image quality despite reducing radiation dose. The aim of this study is to evaluate images using ASIR on bone SPECT/CT which is primarily performed in our hospital. Materials and Methods: We compared the images of applied ASIR (ASIR level: 20-80%) and none ASIR by changing the mA based on 120 kVp, 100 mA using Discovery NM/CT 670 (GE, U.S.A). First, we evaluated attenuation correction in SPECT image by changing the ASIR level using Anthropomorphic phantom. Second, we compared the contrast to noise ratio (CNR), image noise and spatial resolution in CT image using ACR phantom. Third, after selecting the ASIR level applicable patient using lower torso phantom, we examined 2 patients who followed up bone SPECT/CT and we performed blind test. Results: The degree of attenuation correction in SPECT image showed no significant difference between applied ASIR and none ASIR (P>0.05). When applied ASIR, the noise of CT image were reduced at least 17 up to 52% by changing the mA. The CNR of image with ASIR was maintained more than 0.8 at 40 mA (ASIR 60%) while those without ASIR showed 0.42 at standard 40 mA. In comparison of the high contrast object, we distinguished 12 line pairs/cm at 40 mA regardless of appling ASIR. Comparison of the patients image applied ASIR level 60% (40 mA) which found out by spine image of lower torso phantom showed no signigicant difference between applied ASIR and none ASIR in blind test. The CTDIvol and DLP for applied ASIR 60% showed decreased by 60%, 60% on average than using standard mA. Conclusion: The study show that the radiation dose in SPECT/CT using ASIR can be reduced despite degradation of SPECT and CT images. In addition, higher ASIR level could be possibly applied characteristics of SPECT/CT that region of interest is limited to bone.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2010

Purpose: In Asan Medical Center we perform myocardial perfusion SPECT to evaluate cardiac event risk level for non-cardiac surgery patients. In case of patients with cancer, we check tumor metastasis using whole body bone scan and whole body PET scan and then perform myocardial perfusion SPECT to reduce unnecessary exam. In case of short term in patients, we perform $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT after whole body bone scan a minimum 16 hours in order to reduce hospitalization period but it is still the actual condition in which the evaluation about the affect of the crosstalk contamination due to the each other dissimilar isotope administration doesn't properly realize. So in our experiments, we try to evaluate crosstalk contamination influence on $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT using anthropomorphic torso phantom and patient's data. Materials and Methods: From 2009 August to September, we analyzed 87 patients with $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT. According to $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT yesterday whole body bone scan possibility of carrying out, a patient was classified. The image data are obtained by using the dual energy window in $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT. We analyzed $^{201}Tl$ and $^{99m}Tc$ counts ratio in each patients groups obtained image data. We utilized anthropomorphic torso phantom in our experiment and administrated $^{201}Tl$ 14.8 MBq (0.4 mCi) at myocardium and $^{99m}Tc$ 44.4 MBq (1.2 mCi) at extracardiac region. We obtained image by $^{201}Tl$ myocardial perfusion SPECT without gate method application and analyzed spatial resolution using Xeleris ver 2.0551. Results: In case of $^{201}Tl$ window and the counts rate comparison result yesterday whole body bone scan of being counted in $^{99m}Tc$ window, the difference in which a rate to 24 hours exponential-functionally notes in 1:0.114 with Ventri (GE Healthcare, Wisconsin, USA), 1:0.249 after the bone tracer injection in 12 hours in 1:0.411 with 1:0.79 with Infinia (GE healthcare, Wisconsin, USA) according to a reduction a time-out was shown (Ventri p=0.001, Infinia p=0.001). Moreover, the rate of the case in which it doesn't perform the whole body bone scan showed up as the average 1:$0.067{\pm}0.6$ of Ventri, and 1:$0.063{\pm}0.7$ of Infinia. According to the phantom after experiment spatial resolution measurement result, and an addition or no and time-out of $^{99m}Tc$ administrated, it doesn't note any change of FWHM (p=0.134). Conclusion: Through the experiments using anthropomorphic torso phantom and patients data, we found that $^{201}Tl$ myocardium perfusion SPECT image later carried out after the bone tracer injection with 16 hours this confirmed that it doesn't receive notable influence in spatial resolution by $^{99m}Tc$. But this investigation is only aimed to image quality, so it needs more investigation in patient's radiation dose and exam accuracy and precision. The exact guideline presentation about the exam interval should be made of the validation test which is exact and in which it is standardized about the affect of the crosstalk contamination according to the isotope use in which it is different later on.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2014

In this paper, WBAN(Wireless Body Area Network) On-body system using the surface-oriented antenna about the impact of human internal organs were analyzed through experiments. The received signal strength is measured for effect of human using the human model and the phantom of torso. Experiments are performed in anechoic chamber without moving and measured by Vector Network Analyzer. This paper confirms the effect of human body by comparing the human model and the phantom of torso. And also know the human internal organs effect on the antennas loss of received signal strength by measured data.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.389-399
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• 2008

Corrections of attenuation, scatter and resolution are important in order to improve the accuracy of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image reconstruction. Especially, the heart movement by respiration and beating cause the errors in the corrections. Myocardial phantom is used to verify the correction methods, but there are many different parts in the current phantoms in actual human body. Therefore the results using a phantom are often considered apart from the clinical data. We developed a new phantom that implements the human body structure around the thorax more faithfully. The new phantom has the small mediastinum which can simulate the structure in which the lung adjoins anterior, lateral and apex of myocardium. The container was made of acrylic and water-equivalent material was used for mediastinum. In addition, solidified polyurethane foam in epoxy resin was used for lung. Five different sizes of myocardium were developed for the quantitative gated SPECT (QGS). The septa of all different cardiac phantoms were designed so that they can be located at the same position. The proposed phantom was attached with liver and gallbladder, the adjustment was respectively possible for the height of them. The volumes of five cardiac ventricles were 150.0, 137.3, 83.1, 42.7 and 38.6ml respectively. The SPECT were performed for the new phantom, and the differences between the images were examined after the correction methods were applied. The three-dimensional tomography of myocardium was well reconstructed, and the subjective evaluations were done to show the difference among the various corrections. We developed the new cardiac and torso phantom, and the difference of various corrections was shown on SPECT images and QGS results.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2016

An absorbed dose calculation method using a digital phantom is implemented in normal organs. This method cannot be employed for calculating the absorbed dose of tumor. In this study, we measure the S-value for calculating the absorbed dose of each organ and tumor. We inject a radioisotope into a torso phantom and perform Monte Carlo simulation based on the CT data. The torso phantom has lung, liver, spinal, cylinder, and tumor simulated using a spherical phantom. The radioactivity of the actual absorbed dose is measured using the injected dose of the radioisotope, which is Cu-64 73.85 MBq, and detected using a glass dosimeter in the torso phantom. To perform the Monte Carlo simulation, the information on each organ and tumor acquired using the PET/CT and CT data provides anatomical information. The anatomical information is offered above mean value and manually segmented for each organ and tumor. The residence time of the radioisotope in each organ and tumor is calculated using the time activity curve of Cu-64 radioactivity. The S-values of each organ and tumor are calculated based on the Monte Carlo simulation data using the spatial coordinate, voxel size, and density information. The absorbed dose is evaluated using that obtained through the Monte Carlo simulation and the S-value and the residence time in each organ and tumor. The absorbed dose in liver, tumor1, and tumor2 is 4.52E-02, 4.61E-02, and 5.98E-02 mGy/MBq, respectively. The difference in the absorbed dose measured using the glass dosimeter and that obtained through the Monte Carlo simulation data is within 12.3%. The result of this study is that the absorbed dose obtained using an image can evaluate each difference region and size of a region of interest.