Speaker
Marco Carminati
(Politecnico di Milano)
Description
We present the conclusive measurements of the characterization of a preclinical SPECT insert compatible with standard MR scanners and targeting neuro-oncology. The instrument is composed of a static gantry of 10 gamma cameras based on arrays of SiPMs coupled to a 50mm by 50mm CiI(Tl) continuous scintillator. Each module features a 36-channel readout ASIC, an optimized MRI-compatible layout, optical digital output and offers an intrinsic spatial resolution of 1mm. Planar image reconstruction (with a usable FoV of 40mm by 40mm) is performed by means of iterative identification of light response function and maximum likelihood. Tomographic reconstruction is performed after linearity and uniformity corrections of single modules. The extrinsic SPECT spatial resolution, measured with 99mTc-filled capillary of 0.290mm diameter), is below 0.9mm FWHM across the whole transaxial FoV (equal to 15.6mm). The sensitivity is 1100cps/MBq and is linear up to 10MBq. SPECT energy (13%) and spatial resolution do not worsen during simultaneous MR imaging, reported here for a small Derenzo phantom and for a mouse brain. At the same time, the impact of the insert on the MR image quality is minimized by means of shielding, filtering, materials selection and shimming (for the tungsten powder multi-pinhole collimator), leading to very promising results, also in the perspective of the up-scaled clinical version of the instrument.
Primary author
Marco Carminati
(Politecnico di Milano)
Co-authors
Dr
Andre Kuehne
(MRI Tools)
Prof.
Andrea Falini
(San Raffaele Hospital)
Dr
Anna Rita Savi
(San Raffaele Hospita)
Dr
Antonella Iadanza
(San Raffaele Hospital)
Carlo Ettore Fiorini
(MI)
Mr
Czeller Miklos
(MEDISO)
Mr
Francesco Maria Baratelli
(Politecnico di Milano)
Dr
Kalman Nagy
(MEDISO)
Prof.
Letterio Salvatore Politi
(UMass)
Mr
Marcello Cadioli
(Philips Medical Systems)
Mrs
Michela Massara
(Politecnico di Milano)
Michele Occhipinti
(MI)
Prof.
Rosa Maria Moresco
(San Raffaele Hospital)
Dr
Sara Belloli
(San Raffaele Hospital)
Dr
Silvia Valtorta
(San Raffaele Hospital)
Dr
Thoralf Niendorf
(MRI Tools)
Mr
Zoltan Nyitrai
(MEDISO)
