COMPTON IMAGING PROBE FOR THE PROSTATE

这项R21/R33研究的长期目标是基于康普顿散射相机的想法开发一种新的前列腺核医学成像探头。当放置在感兴趣的器官附近时，探头可以同时实现高空间分辨率和高计数效率，并且与传统的康普顿相机不同，探头不受多普勒展宽效应的显著影响。由于其接近物体，康普顿探头可以很小，因此与用于身体成像的康普顿相机相比相对便宜。在R21阶段，将检查该探头优于常规PET和SPECT前列腺成像仪器的可能性。将使用几种措施，包括均匀的Cramer-Rao界限，理想的观察者，和信道化的Hotelling观察者，对前列腺成像的探头和传统系统的性能进行量化。一个原型探测器将使用现有的硅探测器和C-SPRINT康普顿相机。 使用探头进行体模测量的统计数据将用于证实性能指标的预测。如果调查表明，探头提供了明显更好的前列腺图像，康普顿探头的全面开发和初步患者成像研究将在R33阶段进行。R33的令人鼓舞的结果将刺激商业化。

The long-term objective of this R21/R33 investigation is to develop a new nuclear medicine imaging probe for the prostate based on the idea of the Compton scatter camera. When placed close to the organ of interest the probe can achieve high spatial resolution and high counting efficiency simultaneously, and unlike the conventional Compton camera, probes are not significantly influenced by the effects of Doppler broadening. Because of its proximity to the object, the Compton probe Can be small and therefore relatively inexpensive in comparison to a Compton camera for body imaging. In the R21 phase, the possibility for this probe to outperform conventional PET and SPECT instrumentation for prostate imaging will be examined. Performance of the probe and conventional systems for imaging the prostate will be quantified using several measures including the uniform Cramer-Rao bound, the ideal observer, and the channelized Hotelling observer. A prototype probe will be constructed using existing silicon detectors and the C-SPRINT Compton camera. Statistics from phantom measurements using the probe will be used to corroborate predictions of the performance measures. ff the investigation indicates that the probe provides significantly better images of the prostate, full-scale development of the Compton probe and preliminary patient imaging studies will be conducted in the R33 phase. Encouraging results in R33 will stimulate commercialization.