Respiratory Motion Compensation in PET Molecular Imaging

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究旨在提高18FDG-PET/CT对呼吸过程中明显移动的小的(直径1厘米)恶性肺部病变的分子成像的敏感性和预后价值。其长期目标是提供比目前更准确的肺部恶性病变的早期诊断和预后。这项研究的重要意义在于开发和验证一种实用且低成本的呼吸运动问题解决方案，以准确解释和定量肺18FDG-PET图像的18FDG摄取。目前，在肺部正电子发射计算机断层扫描研究中，还没有经过验证的实用方法可以用来补偿呼吸运动。这一问题的解决将提高小病灶18FDG摄取定量的识别和准确性。改善对早期恶性肺部病变的检测将对肺癌患者的护理产生积极影响，肺癌是美国的一个主要健康问题。该研究将通过以下方式进行：a)开发和验证基于作为呼吸运动的函数的结构光的反射的呼吸门控系统，b)通过开发和使用模拟呼吸周期期间腹部和肺部病变的运动的物理模型来验证呼吸门控系统的准确性，c)开发和验证运动跟踪计算机辅助算法，用于将不同门控时间段的肺PET图像整合到呼吸周期内的参考时间段中，以及d)通过利用物理体模进行实验和使用四维(4D)NCAT计算机化体模进行计算机模拟来验证用于病变检测和18FDG摄取定量的运动跟踪算法的准确性。通过将门控时间盒的计数积分到一个参考盒中，可以实现噪声和PET扫描时间之间的最佳折衷，从而使临床分析变得更容易和更快。本项目的所有开发和研究工作都是为了论证将廉价的呼吸运动补偿软硬件工具实际实施到临床环境中的可行性。该项目的结果将为启动临床研究提供研究工具和初步数据，该研究旨在使用18FDG-PET检测和识别微小(1厘米)的恶性肺部病变。这项研究的结果也将有助于规划在呼吸过程中显着移动的病变的放射治疗。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research intends to increase the sensitivity and prognosis value of molecular imaging with 18FDG- PET/CT of small (<1 cm in diameter) malignant lung lesions that move significantly during respiration. The long-term objective is to provide an early and more accurate diagnosis and prognosis of malignant lung lesions than is currently available. The importance of this research is to develop and validate a practical and low cost solution to the problem of respiratory motion for the accurate interpretation and quantitation of 18FDG uptake of lung 18FDG-PET images. Currently there is no validated practical methodology that can be applied to compensate for respiratory motion in lung PET studies. The solution to this problem would improve the identification and accuracy of 18FDG uptake quantitation of small lesions. Improving the detection of a malignant lung lesion in its initial stage will positively impact the care of patients with lung cancer, a major health problem in the United States. This research will be conducted by: a) developing and validating a respiratory-gating system based on the reflection of structured light as a function of the respiratory motion, b) verifying the accuracy of the respiratory-gating system by developing and using a physical phantom that simulates the motion of the abdomen and lung lesions during the respiratory cycle, c) developing and validating a motion track computer-assisted algorithm for the integration of lung PET images at different gated time bins into a reference time bin within the respiratory cycle, and d) verifying the accuracy of the motion track algorithm for detection of lesions and 18FDG uptake quantitation by conducting experiments with the physical phantom and computer simulations using the four-dimensional (4D) NCAT computerized phantom. By integraging the counts of gated time bins into only one referenbce bin, the best compromise between noise and PET scan time can be achieved, and clinical analysis would be easier and faster. All the development and research work of this project is oriented to demonstrate the feasibility of the practical implementation of inexpensive software and hardware tools for compensating respiratory motion into the clinical setting. Results of this project will provide research tools and preliminary data for initiating clinical research oriented to the detection and identification of small (<1 cm) malignant lung lesions using 18FDG-PET. Results of this research will also be useful in planning radiation therapy of lesions that move significantly during respiration.