Yttrium-90 quantitative phantom study using digital photon counting PET

Background PET imaging of 90Y-microsphere distribution following radioembolisation is challenging due to the count-starved statistics from the low branching ratio of e+/e− pair production during 90Y decay. PET systems using silicon photo-multipliers have shown better 90Y image quality compared to conventional photo-multiplier tubes. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate reconstruction parameters for different phantom configurations and varying listmode acquisition lengths to improve quantitative accuracy in 90Y dosimetry, using digital photon counting PET/CT. Methods Quantitative PET and dosimetry accuracy were evaluated using two uniform cylindrical phantoms specific for PET calibration validation. A third body phantom with a 9:1 hot sphere-to-background ratio was scanned at different activity concentrations of 90Y. Reconstructions were performed using OSEM algorithm with varying parameters. Time-of-flight and point-spread function modellings were included in all reconstructions. Absorbed dose calculations were carried out using voxel S-values convolution and were compared to reference Monte Carlo simulations. Dose-volume histograms and root-mean-square deviations were used to evaluate reconstruction parameter sets. Using listmode data, phantom and patient datasets were rebinned into various lengths of time to assess the influence of count statistics on the calculation of absorbed dose. Comparisons between the local energy deposition method and the absorbed dose calculations were performed. Results Using a 2-mm full width at half maximum post-reconstruction Gaussian filter, the dosimetric accuracy was found to be similar to that found with no filter applied but also reduced noise. Larger filter sizes should not be used. An acquisition length of more than 10 min/bed reduces image noise but has no significant impact in the quantification of phantom or patient data for the digital photon counting PET. 3 iterations with 10 subsets were found suitable for large spheres whereas 1 iteration with 30 subsets could improve dosimetry for smaller spheres. Conclusion The best choice of the combination of iterations and subsets depends on the size of the spheres. However, one should be careful on this choice, depending on the imaging conditions and setup. This study can be useful in this choice for future studies for more accurate 90Y post-dosimetry using a digital photon counting PET/CT.

Yttrium-90 Quantitative Phantom Study Using Digital Photon Counting PET

Background: PET imaging of 90Y-microspheres distribution following radioembolisation is a challenging task due to the count-starved statistics from the low branching ratio producing e+/e- pairs during 90Y decay. The recent PET systems using silicon photo-multipliers technology has shown better 90Y image quality compared to photo-multiplier tubes. The aim of the present study was to quantitatively evaluate the impact of 90Y imaging conditions and reconstruction parameters on the dosimetry calculations using a digital photon counting PET.Methods: Quantitative PET and dosimetry accuracy were evaluated using two uniform cylindrical phantoms specific for PET calibration validation. A body phantom with an 9:1 hot sphere-to-background ratio was scanned at different activity concentrations of 90Y. Reconstructions were performed using OSEM algorithm with varying parameters. Time-of-flight and point-spread function modellings were included in all reconstructions. Absorbed dose calculations were carried out using Voxel S-Values convolution and were compared to reference Monte Carlo simulations. Dose-volume histograms and root-mean-square deviations were used to evaluate reconstruction parameter sets. Thanks to listmode data, datasets for phantoms and patients were rebinned into varying lengths of time to assess the influence of acquisition duration on the calculation of absorbed dose. Results: A 2 mm full width at half maximum post-reconstruction Gaussian filter size can be used for image reconstruction, keeping the same accuracy as when no filter is applied for dosimetry purposes and reducing noise. Larger filter sizes should not be used. An acquisition duration of more than 10 min/bed reduces image noise but has no significant impact in the quantification of phantom and patient data for the digital photon counting PET. 3 iterations with 10 subsets was found suitable for large spheres whereas 1 iteration with 30 subsets could improve dosimetry for smaller spheres. Conclusion: The choice of iterations and subsets combination depends on the size of the spheres. However, one should be careful on this choice, depending on the imaging conditions and setup. This study can be useful in this choice for future studies for more accurate 90Y post-dosimetry using a digital photon counting PET.

Advanced Functional Tumor Imaging and Precision Nuclear Medicine Enabled by Digital PET Technologies

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of the background, basic principles, technological evolution, clinical capabilities, and future directions for functional tumor imaging as PET evolves from the conventional photomultiplier tube-based platform into a fully digital detector acquisition platform. The recent introduction of solid-state digital photon counting PET detector is the latest evolution of clinical PET which enables faster time-of-flight timing resolution that leads to more precise localization of the annihilation events and further contributes to reduction in partial volume and thus makes high definition and ultrahigh definition PET imaging feasible with current standard acquisition procedures. The technological advances of digital PET can be further leveraged by optimizing many of the acquisition and reconstruction methodologies to achieve faster image acquisition to improve cancer patient throughput, lower patient dose in accordance with ALARA, and improved quantitative accuracy to enable biomarker capability. Digital PET technology will advance molecular imaging capabilities beyond oncology and enable Precision Nuclear Medicine.

Sea-ice freeboard retrieval using digital photon-counting laser altimetry

Airborne and spaceborne altimeters provide measurements of sea-ice elevation, from which sea-ice freeboard and thickness may be derived. Observations of the Arctic ice pack by satellite altimeters indicate a significant decline in ice thickness, and volume, over the last decade. NASA’s Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) is a next-generation laser altimeter designed to continue key sea-ice observations through the end of this decade. An airborne simulator for ICESat-2, the Multiple Altimeter Beam Experimental Lidar (MABEL), has been deployed to gather pre-launch data for mission development. We present an analysis of MABEL data gathered over sea ice in the Greenland Sea and assess the capabilities of photon-counting techniques for sea-ice freeboard retrieval. We compare freeboard estimates in the marginal ice zone derived from MABEL photon-counting data with coincident data collected by a conventional airborne laser altimeter. We find that freeboard estimates agree to within 0.03 m in the areas where sea-ice floes were interspersed with wide leads, and to within 0.07 m elsewhere. MABEL data may also be used to infer sea-ice thickness, and when compared with coincident but independent ice thickness estimates, MABEL ice thicknesses agreed to within 0.65 m or better.