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Validation of novel calibration scheme with traceable point-like 22Na sources on six types of PET scanners

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Abstract

Objective

To improve the reliability and convenience of the calibration procedure of positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, we have been developing a novel calibration path based on traceable point-like sources. When using 22Na sources, special care should be taken to avoid the effects of 1.275-MeV γ rays accompanying β + decays. The purpose of this study is to validate this new calibration scheme with traceable point-like 22Na sources on various types of PET scanners.

Method

Traceable point-like 22Na sources with a spherical absorber design that assures uniform angular distribution of the emitted annihilation photons were used. The tested PET scanners included a clinical whole-body PET scanner, four types of clinical PET/CT scanners from different manufacturers, and a small-animal PET scanner. The region of interest (ROI) diameter dependence of ROI values was represented with a fitting function, which was assumed to consist of a recovery part due to spatial resolution and a quadratic background part originating from the scattered γ rays.

Results

The observed ROI radius dependence was well represented with the assumed fitting function (R 2 > 0.994). The calibration factors determined using the point-like sources were consistent with those by the standard cross-calibration method within an uncertainty of ±4 %, which was reasonable considering the uncertainty in the standard cross-calibration method.

Conclusion

This novel calibration scheme based on the use of traceable 22Na point-like sources was successfully validated for six types of commercial PET scanners.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. K. Ogawa, Dr. T. Takeda, Dr. K. Saito (Kitasato University), Dr. Y. Ota, Dr. Y. Asano, Dr. Y. Inoue, Dr. T. Tokushige, Dr. K. Tagami (Kitasato University Hospital), Dr. K. Ishiwata (Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology), and Dr. A. Osawa (Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation of Cancer Research). This work was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (Grant-in-Aid Nos. 21611007 24601014), Kitasato University School of Allied Health Sciences (Grant-in-Aid for Research Project Nos.2011-1002, 2012-1003), and the Japanese Society of Medical Physics (JSMP Research Grants of 2008 and 2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Kitasato 1-15-1, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan

    Tomoyuki Hasegawa

  2. Positron Medical Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG), Sakaecho 35-2, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan

    Keiichi Oda

  3. RIKEN Center for Molecular Imaging Science, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuoku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan

    Yasuhiro Wada

  4. Iwate Medical University Cyclotron Research Center, 348-58 Tomegamori, Takizawa-mura, Iwate-gun, Iwate, 020-0173, Japan

    Toshiaki Sasaki

  5. Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 2, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8568, Japan

    Yasushi Sato

  6. Japan Radioisotope Association (JRIA), Komagome 2-28-45, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8941, Japan

    Takahiro Yamada & Mikio Matsumoto

  7. Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan

    Hideo Murayama

  8. Kitasato University Hospital, Kitasato 1-15-1, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan

    Kei Kikuchi, Hiroki Miyatake & Yutaka Abe

  9. Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation of Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan

    Kenta Miwa, Kenta Akimoto & Kei Wagatsuma

Authors
  1. Tomoyuki Hasegawa
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  2. Keiichi Oda
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  3. Yasuhiro Wada
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  7. Mikio Matsumoto
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  8. Hideo Murayama
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  11. Yutaka Abe
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  12. Kenta Miwa
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  13. Kenta Akimoto
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  14. Kei Wagatsuma
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Correspondence to Tomoyuki Hasegawa.

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Hasegawa, T., Oda, K., Wada, Y. et al. Validation of novel calibration scheme with traceable point-like 22Na sources on six types of PET scanners. Ann Nucl Med 27, 346–354 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-013-0692-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-013-0692-x

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