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Assessing time-of-flight signal-to-noise ratio gains within the myocardium and subsequent reductions in administered activity in cardiac PET studies

  • Original Article
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Journal of Nuclear Cardiology Aims and scope

Abstract

Background

Time-of-flight (TOF) is known to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and facilitate reductions in administered activity. Established measures of SNR gain are derived from areas of uniform uptake, which is not applicable to the heterogeneous uptake in cardiac PET images using fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG). This study aimed to develop a technique to quantify SNR gains within the myocardium due to TOF.

Methods

Reference TOF SNR gains were measured in 88 FDG oncology patients. Phantom data were used to translate reference SNR gains and validate a method of quantifying SNR gains within the myocardium from parametric images produced from multiple replicate images. This technique was applied to 13 FDG cardiac viability patients.

Results

Reference TOF SNR gains of +23% ± 8.5% were measured in oncology patients. Measurements of SNR gain from the phantom data were in agreement and showed the parametric image technique to be sufficiently robust. SNR gains within the myocardium in the viability patients were +21% ± 2.8%.

Conclusion

A method to quantify SNR gains from TOF within the myocardium has been developed and evaluated. SNR gains within the myocardium are comparable to those observed by established methods. This allows guidance for protocol optimization for TOF systems in cardiac PET.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

FDG:

Fluoro-deoxyglucose

PET:

Positron Emission Tomography

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

TOF:

Time-of-flight

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to extend their thanks to colleagues Kimberley Saint and Matthew Memmott for conscientious proof reading of this manuscript prior to submission.

Disclosure

There are no conflicts of interest for Ian Armstrong, Christine Tonge, and Parthiban Arumugam associated with this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK

    Ian S. Armstrong PhD, Christine M. Tonge MSc & Parthiban Arumugam MD

Authors
  1. Ian S. Armstrong PhD
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  2. Christine M. Tonge MSc
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  3. Parthiban Arumugam MD
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Correspondence to Ian S. Armstrong PhD.

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Armstrong, I.S., Tonge, C.M. & Arumugam, P. Assessing time-of-flight signal-to-noise ratio gains within the myocardium and subsequent reductions in administered activity in cardiac PET studies. J. Nucl. Cardiol. 26, 405–412 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-017-0916-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-017-0916-x

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