Breast Cancer Imaging Using a Solid-State SPECT Camera

描述(由申请人提供)： 该项目的主要目标是开发使用旋转伽马相机进行SPECT(单光子发射计算机断层扫描)的乳腺癌成像方法。伽马相机由一个镉锌碲探测器和一个钨或铅板条准直器组成；因此，这种固态探测器不使用光电倍增管。不使用平行孔准直器，而是使用一组定义一系列平面的平行条带来准直入射光子。因此，测量的投影数据是平面积分，而不是传统的愤怒相机应用中通常遇到的线积分。 这种新的伽马相机的一个优点是它的能量分辨率(在140keV光峰时约为3%的半高宽)比常规的Ang相机(在140keV光峰时约为10%半高宽)更高。因此，我们能够获得接近康普顿散射的数据。另一个优点是，生成的SPECT图像将是局部的。这意味着重建的感兴趣区(ROI)不受ROI外部和其他器官内放射性的影响。心脏和肝脏的放射性通常较高，通常会污染乳房的投影数据。我们的重建算法能够排除ROI之外的活动。 该项目的总体目标是开发高效和准确的三维SPECT重建，用于使用新的CdZnTe相机进行乳房成像。这项工作有可能显著提高对乳腺微小癌变的检测，并显著提高乳腺SPECT成像的诊断能力。这一提议促进了非常新颖(高风险、高收益)技术的发展，包括继续支持其成熟和充分利用，并促进针对目标应用的技术的系统集成。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The main objective of this project is the development of breast cancer imaging methods using a rotating gamma camera for SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography). The gamma camera consists of a CdZnTe detector and a tungsten or lead slat collimator; therefore this solid-state detector does not use photomultiplier-tubes. Instead of using a parallel-hole collimator, a set of parallel slats that define a series of planes are used to collimate the incoming photons. As a result, the measured projection data are planar integrals as opposed to the line integrals that are generally encountered in traditional Anger camera applications. One advantage of this new gamma camera is its higher energy resolution (about 3% FWHM at 140 keV photopeak) than a regular Anger camera (about 10% FWHM at 140 keV photopeak). Therefore we are able to acquire nearly Compton scatter free data. Another advantage is that the resultant SPECT image will be local. This means that the reconstructed region-of-interest (ROI) is not affected by the radioactivities outside the ROI and in other organs. The radioactivities in the heart and liver are usually high and usually contaminate the projection data of the breast. Our reconstruction algorithm is able to exclude the activities outside the ROI. The overall goal of the project is to develop efficient and accurate three-dimensional SPECT reconstructions for breast imaging using the new CdZnTe camera. The work has the potential to significantly improve the detection of small cancerous lesions in the breast, and significantly improve the diagnostic capabilities of SPECT imaging of the breast. This proposal promotes the development of very novel (high risk, high gain) technologies, including continued support for their maturation and full exploitation, and promote system integration of technologies for targeted applications.