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Feasibility of using counts-per-volume approach with a new SPECT phantom to optimize the relationship between administered dose and acquisition time

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Abstract

We developed a phantom for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), with the objective of assessing image quality to optimize administered dose and acquisition time. We investigated whether the concept of counts-per-volume (CPV), which is used as a predictor of visual image quality in positron emission tomography, can be used to estimate the acquisition time required for each SPECT image. QIRE phantoms for the head (QIRE-h) and torso (QIRE-t) were developed to measure four physical indicators of image quality in a single scan: uniformity, contrast of both hot and defective lesions with respect to the background, and linearity between radioactivity concentration and count density. The target organ’s CPV (TCPV), sharpness index (SI), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured for QIRE-h and QIRE-t phantoms, and for anthropomorphic brain and torso phantoms. The SPECT image quality of the four phantoms was visually assessed on a 5-point scale. The acquisition time and TCPV were correlated for all four phantoms. The SI and CNR values were nearly identical for the QIRE and anthropomorphic phantoms with comparable TCPV. The agreement between the visual scores of QIRE-h and brain phantoms, as well as QIRE-t and torso phantoms, was moderate and substantial, respectively. Comparison of SPECT image quality between QIRE and anthropomorphic phantoms revealed close agreement in terms of physical indicators and visual assessments. Therefore, the TCPV concept can also be applied to SPECT images of QIRE phantoms, and optimization of imaging parameters for nuclear medicine examinations may be possible using QIRE phantoms alone.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Koutatsu Tsuboi, Yoshinao Misu, and Akie Sugiura for their cooperation in the visual assessments.

Funding

This study was supported by Japanese Society of Radiological Technology Research Grants (2020 and 2021).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, 50 Aza Hachiken Nishi, Aotake–Cho, Toyohashi, Aichi, 4418570, Japan

    Hajime Ichikawa, Hideki Shimada & Toyohiro Kato

  2. Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 9200942, Japan

    Hajime Ichikawa

  3. Department of Quantum Medical Technology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 9200942, Japan

    Takayuki Shibutani, Hiroki Nosaka & Masahisa Onoguchi

  4. Department of Radiation Science, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 0368564, Japan

    Koichi Okuda

  5. Clinical Imaging Center for Healthcare, Nippon Medical School, 1-12-15 Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 1130022, Japan

    Hiroki Nosaka

  6. Department of Radiological Technology, Kurashiki Central Hospital, 1-1-1 Miwa, Kurashiki, Okayama, 7108602, Japan

    Akio Nagaki

Authors
  1. Hajime Ichikawa
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  2. Takayuki Shibutani
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  3. Hideki Shimada
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  4. Koichi Okuda
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  5. Toyohiro Kato
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  6. Hiroki Nosaka
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  7. Akio Nagaki
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  8. Masahisa Onoguchi
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Correspondence to Masahisa Onoguchi.

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Ethical approval

All procedures involving human participants performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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This article does not contain any studies performed with animals.

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Ichikawa, H., Shibutani, T., Shimada, H. et al. Feasibility of using counts-per-volume approach with a new SPECT phantom to optimize the relationship between administered dose and acquisition time. Radiol Phys Technol 16, 244–253 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-023-00713-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-023-00713-6

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