Paper detail

Evaluation of imaging protocol for ECT based on CS image reconstruction algorithm

SPECT (Single-photon Emission Computerized Tomography) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) are essential medical imaging tools, for which the sampling angle number, scan time should be chosen carefully to compromise between image quality and the radiopharmaceutical dose. In this study, the image quality of different acquisition protocol was evaluated via varied angle number and count number per angle with Monte Carlo simulation data. It was shown that when similar imaging counts were used, the factor of acquisition counts was more important than that of the sampling number in ECT (Emission Computerized Tomography). To further reduce the activity requirement and the scan duration, an iterative image reconstruction algorithm for limited-view and low-dose tomography based on compressed sensing theory has been developed. The total variation regulation was added in the reconstruction process to improve SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) and reduce the artifacts caused by the limited angle sampling. Maximization of maximum likelihood of the estimated image and the measured data and minimization of the total variation of the image are alternative implemented. By using this advanced algorithm, the reconstruction process is able to achieve image quality matching or exceeding that of normal scan with only half of the injection radiopharmaceutical dose.