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(申请人提供)：这项名为“单光子计数相机同步SPECT/CT”的第一阶段资助将有助于开发具有能量分辨的快速光子计数X射线和伽马射线成像阵列。该项目的目标完成后，将展示用于制造垂直集成高密度阵列的技术的几个进步。最近，将传感器连接到尺寸缩小的专用集成电路(ASIC)的新技术进展已被应用于读出半导体探测器。这些进展，以及化合物半导体碲化镉(CDTe)成本和可靠性的改善，使我们能够开发出光子计数探测器和读出技术，以实现更高空间分辨率的单光子发射计算机断层扫描(SPECT)和能量分辨单光子计数X射线计算机断层扫描(CT)。这些探测器提高了SPECT成像的空间分辨率，采用直接转换的CdTe传感器和0.5 mm像素，比目前商业上可用的小三倍。这些探测器将良好的能量分辨率保持在每像素每秒5W 106次(世界上最快的输出计数速率)，从而显著改善了CT成像，例如减少了患者剂量，同时保持了出色的图像质量、增强的组织对比度和材料分解能力(组织类型识别)。具有能量存储的光子计数探测器可以通过对检测到的每一条X射线进行计数和存储来提高CT性能。此外，从相同的图像体积同时获取解剖和功能数据将减少共同配准误差，这对于在亚毫米长度尺度上准确地进行摄取的解剖定位将是极其重要的。这个项目产生了几项重要的技术创新。这些措施包括制造单晶CdTe探测器，其有源区延伸到晶体的边缘(没有保护环)，从而允许平铺而几乎没有死区。此外，我们开发了封装和封装方法，将密集多通道快速专用集成电路(ASIC)连接到晶体，并在晶体的有源区内形成，以保留二维平铺。我们实现了快速的信号形成，比电荷载流子在CdTe晶体中的传输时间更短。在这个第一阶段的项目中，我们将展示一种垂直集成的光子计数SPECT和CT探测器，具有能量存储和读出功能，能够产生更高的空间分辨率SPECT和能量分辨CT，可以提供更少的辐射剂量和区分组织类型。在保持性能的同时实现垂直集成，将允许在第二阶段中将第一阶段模块平铺到更大的视野。该提案中描述的创新方法通过开发改进SPECT和CT成像的方法可能具有巨大的意义，并有一天可能转化为临床。然而，在垂直读出ASIC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，这在开发过程中并不是一个低风险的步骤。垂直集成阵列中第一阶段里程碑的完成将成功解决这一风险，并显示出与目前可用的SPECT和CT探测器相比性能显著提高。 与公众健康相关：我们正在开发用于X射线和伽马射线成像的快速光子计数阵列。这种新的探测器技术在应用于X射线CT时可能会减少剂量并提高对比度。此外，该探测器还可以同时进行SPECT和CT。提交的提案包含了对CT和SPECT所采用的当前最先进技术的几项创新进步。