Implementation and Image Quality Benefit of a Hybrid-Space PET Point Spread Function

Timothy W. Deller, Sangtae Ahn, Floris P. Jansen, Georg Schramm, Kristen A. Wangerin, Matthew G. Spangler-Bickell, Charles W. Stearns, Mohammad Mehdi Khalighi

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

High resolution PET imaging is being driven by recent advances in both scanner hardware and image reconstruction. As a result, images are being reconstructed with smaller pixel sizes and little or no post-reconstruction filtering. In certain circumstances, this combination can lead to distracting image artifacts due to high frequencies introduced by the projectors. We present a method that utilizes PET point spread function (PSF) processing to mitigate these artifacts while preserving image resolution. Our approach includes a "hybrid-space PSF,"with components in both sinogram-space and image space. Radial smoothing of the sinogram data (or a broadened line of response if performing list mode reconstruction) is combined with a spatially invariant image smoothing. Unlike fully-image-based PSF approaches, this method allows a PSF kernel specific to each crystal pair, even when corrected for patient motion. The hybrid-space PSF approach also opens the door to isotope-dependent positron range imaging, by allowing the use of different image-based kernels for isotopes with different positron range, while preserving the same projection-based kernel (which is a function of detector design only). The effectiveness of the hybrid-space PSF approach is demonstrated with a brain 18F-FDG dataset and spatial resolution point sources.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2021 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference Record, NSS/MIC 2021 and 28th International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors, RTSD 2022
EditorsHideki Tomita, Tatsuya Nakamura
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)9781665421133
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes
Event2021 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, NSS/MIC 2021 - Virtual, Yokohama, Japan
Duration: Oct 16 2021Oct 23 2021

Publication series

Name2021 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference Record, NSS/MIC 2021 and 28th International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors, RTSD 2022

Conference

Conference2021 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, NSS/MIC 2021
Country/TerritoryJapan
CityVirtual, Yokohama
Period10/16/2110/23/21

Keywords

  • High-resolution imaging
  • PET
  • brain imaging
  • point spread function
  • spatial resolution

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