A study on sensitivity correction factor of gamma camera in whole body bone image

Abstract

The aim of this study was to calculate a reasonable correction factor that could be corrected when the sensitivity of each gamma camera is measured and a whole body bone scan is performed as a follow-up examination. Seven pieces of equipment were used to analyse the sensitivity measurements of each gamma camera based on the source sensitivity measurement method recommended by the IAEA. These were BRIGHTVIEW, PRECEDENCE, ECAM, ECAM signature, ECAM Plus, SYMBIA T2 and INFINIA. The 99mTc line source for the sensitivity measurement was generated in 4–7 kcps, which are the common values in a whole body bone scan. All the cameras were equipped with a low-energy and high-resolution parallel multi-hole collimator and set at a window width and photo peak of 15% and 140 keV, respectively. After placing the 99mTc source as closely as possible to the collimator, the count was measured for 60 and 120 seconds to calculate correction factor. To determine if the correction factor calculated using the 99mTc line source could be applied to a whole body bone scan of a real patient, a whole body bone scan was performed on 27 patients before applying the correction factor for comparative analysis. According to the experimental results using the 99mTc line source, the gamma camera sensitivity was the highest for ECAM plus, followed in order by the gamma cameras, ECAM signature, SYMBIA T2, ECAM, BRIGHTVIEW, INFINIA and PRECEDENCE. When the results were used to calculate the correction factor based on the ECAM gamma camera, which had a medium-degree of sensitivity, the respective correction factors were 1·07, 1·05, 1·03, 1·00, 0·90, 0·83 and 0·72. The correction factors calculated based on the experiment using a 99mTc line source were similar to those calculated based on the whole body bone scan. Clinical application of correction factor for measured sensitivity enables estimation of factor correction depending on difference in equipment when image is read, which improves accuracy and reliability of examination, and is expected to be used especially for continuous follow-up examination.