Simultaneous SPECT/CT with a single photon counting camera

使用单光子计数相机同时进行 SPECT/CT

• 批准号: 8200367
• 负责人: WILLIAM C BARBER
• 金额: $ 15.06万
• 依托单位: DXRAY, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-07-15 至 2012-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8200367
• 关键词: Address; Algorithms; Animals; Anodes; Area; California; Ceramics; Charge; Clinic; Collimator; Computer software; Custom; Data; Detection; Development; Dimensions; Discrimination; Dose; Emission-Computed Tomography; Floods; Floor; Functional Imaging; Gamma Rays; Generations; Goals; Grant; Histocompatibility Testing; Image; Length; Manufacturer Name; Marketing; Measures; Methods; Modality; Motion; Movement; Noise; Organ; Output; Patients; Performance; Phase; Photons; Physiologic pulse; Power Sources; Radiation; Radioactive; Radioisotopes; Reading; Research; Resolution; Risk; San Francisco; Scanning; Semiconductors; Side; Signal Transduction; Solutions; Source; System; Techniques; Technology; Time; Tissues; Translating; Universities; Work; X-Ray Computed Tomography; cadmium telluride; cost; design; detector; imaging detector; imaging modality; improved; innovation; millimeter; novel; pre-clinical; prototype; reconstruction; response; retinal rods; sensor; single photon emission computed tomography; statistics; technological innovation; uptake

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase I grant titled, "Simultaneous SPECT/CT with a single photon counting camera" will enable the development of a fast photon-counting x-ray and gamma-ray imaging array with energy discrimination. The aims of the project when completed will demonstrate several advances in the technologies used to fabricate vertically integrated dense arrays. Recently, new technological developments in connecting sensors to the reduced size of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) has been applied to reading out semiconductor detectors These advances, along with improvements to the cost and reliability of the compound semiconductor cadmium telluride (CdTe), allow us to develop a photon counting detector and read-out technology for higher spatial resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and energy resolved single photon counting x-ray computed tomography (CT) at reduced dose. These detectors improve spatial resolution in SPECT imaging with direct conversion CdTe sensors and 0.5 mm pixels which are three times smaller than currently available commercially. These same detectors, which maintain good energy resolution up to 5 W 106 counts per second per pixel (the world's fastest output count rate), enable significant improvements in CT imaging such as reduced patient dose while maintaining excellent image quality, enhanced tissue contrast, and material decomposition capabilities (tissue type identification). Photon counting detectors with energy binning can improve CT performance by counting and binning each x-ray detected. Additionally, the simultaneous acquisition of anatomical and functional data from identical image volumes will reduce coregistration errors which will be extremely important for the accurate anatomical localization of uptake on sub- millimeter length scales. This project produces several important technological innovations. These include the fabrication of single crystal CdTe detectors with an active area extending to the edge of the crystals (no guard rings) which allows tiling with almost no dead space. Additionally, we have developed packaging and encapsulation methods to connect dense multi channel fast application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to the crystals and formed within the active area of the crystal to preserve tiling in two dimensions. And we achieve a rapid signal formation, shorter than the transit time for charge carriers across the CdTe crystal. In this Phase I project we will demonstrate a vertically integrated photon counting SPECT and CT detector with energy binning and read-out that is capable of producing higher spatial resolution SPECT and energy resolved CT which can deliver less radiation dose and differentiate between tissue types. Achieving vertical integration while maintaining performance will allow the tiling of Phase I modules in Phase II to larger fields of view. The innovative methods described in this proposal could have a tremendous significance by developing methods that improve SPECT and CT imaging and could one day be translated to the clinic. There remains however a large risk in the final integration of the vertical readout ASICs to the CdTe detectors. As we are developing the world's fastest x-ray and gamma-ray detector arrays by using the latest and smallest bonding techniques available, this is not a low risk step in the development. Completion of the Phase I milestones in a vertically integrated array will successfully address this risk as well as demonstrate significantly improved performance as compared to the currently available SPECT and CT detectors. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We are developing fast photon counting arrays for x-ray and gamma-ray imaging. This new detector technology can potentially reduce dose and improve contrast when applied to x-ray CT. Additionally, the detector can perform simultaneous SPECT and CT. The proposal submitted contains several innovative advancements to the current state of the art technologies employed in both CT and SPECT.

描述（由申请人提供）：该第一阶段授权名为“同时使用单光子计数相机的SPECT/CT”，将开发具有能量识别的快速光子计数x射线和伽马射线成像阵列。该项目完成后将展示用于制造垂直集成密集阵列的几项技术进步。最近，将传感器连接到缩小尺寸的专用集成电路（asic）的新技术发展已应用于读出半导体探测器。这些进步，以及化合物半导体碲化镉（CdTe）的成本和可靠性的提高，使我们能够开发一种光子计数检测器和读出技术，用于更高空间分辨率的单光子发射计算机断层扫描（SPECT）和低剂量的能量分辨单光子计数x射线计算机断层扫描（CT）。这些探测器通过直接转换碲化镉传感器和0.5毫米像素提高了SPECT成像的空间分辨率，比目前市面上可用的像素小三倍。这些检测器保持良好的能量分辨率，最高可达5 W 106次/秒每像素（世界上最快的输出计数率），能够显著改善CT成像，如降低患者剂量，同时保持优异的图像质量，增强组织对比度和材料分解能力（组织类型识别）。具有能量分束的光子计数探测器可以通过对检测到的每个x射线进行计数和分束来提高CT的性能。此外，从相同的图像体积中同时获取解剖和功能数据将减少共配准误差，这对于在亚毫米长度尺度上准确定位摄取的解剖位置至关重要。这个项目产生了几项重要的技术创新。其中包括单晶碲化镉探测器的制造，其有源区域延伸到晶体的边缘（没有保护环），这使得平铺几乎没有死区。此外，我们还开发了封装和封装方法，将密集的多通道快速专用集成电路（asic）连接到晶体上，并在晶体的有源区域内形成，以保持二维平铺。我们实现了快速的信号形成，比载流子通过CdTe晶体的传输时间短。在这个第一阶段的项目中，我们将展示一个垂直集成的光子计数SPECT和CT检测器，具有能量分组和读出功能，能够产生更高的空间分辨率SPECT和能量分辨率CT，可以提供更少的辐射剂量并区分组织类型。在保持性能的同时实现垂直整合，将允许在第二阶段将第一阶段模块平铺到更大的视野。本提案中描述的创新方法可以通过开发改进SPECT和CT成像的方法而具有巨大的意义，并且有一天可以转化为临床。然而，在将垂直读出asic集成到CdTe探测器的最终集成中仍然存在很大的风险。由于我们正在使用最新和最小的键合技术开发世界上最快的x射线和伽马射线探测器阵列，因此这不是一个低风险的开发步骤。垂直集成阵列的第一阶段里程碑的完成将成功解决这一风险，并且与目前可用的SPECT和CT探测器相比，性能显着提高。