GATE Monte Carlo Simulation Research Articles

A Monte Carlo simulation study of the impact of increasing the axial field of view on PET scanner sensitivity with various scintillating crystals

This study addresses sensitivity performance, a pivotal parameter of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, which measures the system’s ability to detect and precisely measure radiotracer signals. It primarily depends on the scintillation material and the system’s axial field of view (AFOV). Enhancing this performance can significantly increase overall system performance and clinical practice. This research evaluates the sensitivity of a simulated PET model based on different scintillation materials and extended AFOV values, following the NEMA NU 2-2018 protocol. A standard PET system model with an AFOV of 15.9 cm was developed using the GATE Monte Carlo simulation toolkit (v9.2), along with detailed modelling of the NEMA NU 2-2018 sensitivity phantom. Simulations examined six scintillation materials (BGO, GSO, LSO, LYSO, LuAP, and NaI) across AFOV sizes from 15.9 cm to 79.5 cm. Results showed a substantial increase in sensitivity with AFOV extension, following a quadratic relationship. BGO, LuAP, and LSO crystals demonstrated notable performance enhancements, while LYSO showed acceptable results. This study underscores the potential of AFOV extension and high-performance scintillation crystals to enhance sensitivity in PET scanners, thereby improving imaging quality and potentially advancing clinical practice.

A Monte Carlo study comparing dead-time losses of a gamma camera between tungsten functional paper and lead sheet for dosimetry in targeted radionuclide therapy with Lu-177.

Dead-time loss is reported to be non-negligible for some patients with a high tumor burden in Lu-177 radionuclide therapy, even if the administered activity is 7.4GBq. Hence, we proposed a simple method to shorten the apparent dead time and reduce dead-time loss using a thin lead sheet in previous work. The collimator surface of the gamma camera was covered with a lead sheet in our proposed method. While allowing the detection of 208-keV gamma photons of Lu-177 that penetrate the sheet, photons with energies lower than 208keV, which cause dead-time loss, were shielded. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of tungsten functional paper (TFP) for the proposed method using Monte Carlo simulation. The count rates in imaging of Lu-177 administered to patients were simulated with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 110 phantom using the GATE Monte Carlo simulation toolkit. The simulated gamma cameras with a 0.5-mm lead sheet, 1.2-mm TFP, or no filter were positioned closely on the anterior and posterior sides of the phantom. The apparent dead times and dead-time losses at 24h after administration were calculated for an energy window of 208keV ± 10%. Moreover, the dead-time losses at 24-120h were analytically assessed using activity excretion data of Lu-177-DOTATATE. The dead-time loss without a filter was 5% even 120h after administration in patients with a high tumor burden and slow excretion, while those with a lead sheet and TFP were 0.22 and 0.58 times less than those with no filter, respectively. The count rates with the TFP were 1.3 times higher than those with the lead sheet, and the TFP could maintain primary count rates at 91-94% of those without a filter. Although the apparent dead time and dead-time loss with the lead sheet were shorter and less than those with TFP, those with TFP were superior to those without a filter. The advantage of TFP over the lead sheet is that the decrease in primary count rates was less.

Development and validation of a comprehensive S-value database for small animal internal dosimetry in nuclear medicine using the DM_Bra mouse phantom

Animal models are essential in the development of new radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine, particularly for accurate dose calculation in small animal internal dosimetry. This study presents a comprehensive dataset of S-values for eleven commonly used radionuclides, calculated using the DM_Bra mouse phantom with the GATE Monte Carlo simulation code. To validate our approach, we first compared S-values obtained from the DM_Bra phantom with published values derived from the Digimouse phantom using a Tc-99 m source. The differences between the two phantoms range from 0.68% to 12.45% for self-irradiation and from 0.15% to 4.19% for cross-irradiation when the source is the stomach. These results demonstrate good agreement with reference data, supporting the reliability of our dataset. We then expanded our analysis by generating S-values for additional radionuclides, reflecting their usage in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Furthermore, to assess the impact of varying mouse geometries on S-values, the DM_Bra phantom (26.9 g) was rescaled to represent two other mouse sizes (19.6 g and 35.9 g). The statistical uncertainty associated with all these S-values remains below 2%. This study offers a valuable resource for internal dosimetry in mice, providing detailed S-values for a wide range of radionuclides and organ geometries, which can be used in small animal PET and SPECT studies.

A comparative study of crystal geometry, material, and reconstruction algorithms on MicroPET scanner performance

Small-animal PET, also known as microPET, has been developed to enhance image quality by improving spatial resolution and sensitivity due to its smaller ring and crystal size. However, the reduction of crystal size and the presence of gaps between cuboidal crystals could reduce sensitivity. MicroPET with tapered arrays has been developed to simultaneously improve sensitivity and spatial resolution. This study compared the performance of 14 × 14 and 28 × 28 array microPETs using LSO and CZT crystal materials. The impact of crystal design and reconstruction algorithms on image quality and performance parameters was investigated, using GATE Monte Carlo simulation toolkit. The findings showed that sensitivity increased with crystal thickness, particularly in LSO. The 14 × 14 arrays consistently exhibited higher sensitivity, while the 28 × 28 arrays had superior spatial resolution. NECR values increased with crystal thickness, with LSO outperforming CZT. Scatter and random fractions were low. Different reconstruction algorithms had negligible effects on FWHM and CNR but influenced SNR, with the COSEM algorithm achieving significantly reduced noise. The small size of crystals and tapered arrays contributed to improved sensitivity and spatial resolution. However, there was a trade-off between sensitivity and spatial resolution. LSO crystals showed better performance, but the choice between array sizes depended on specific imaging requirements. This study provides insights into optimizing microPET design for enhanced imaging capabilities.

Monte Carlo simulations of microdosimetry and radiolytic species production at long time post proton irradiation using GATE and Geant4-DNA.

Radiobiological effectiveness of radiation in cancer treatment can be studied at different scales (molecular till organ scale) and different time post irradiation. The production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species during water radiolysis is particularly relevant to understand the fundamental mechanisms playing a role in observed biological outcomes. The development and validation of Monte Carlo tools integrating the simulation of physical, physico-chemical and chemical stages after radiation is very important to maintain with experiments. Therefore, in this study, we propose to validate a new Geant4-DNA chemistry module through the simulation of water radiolysis and Fricke dosimetry experiments on a proton preclinical beam line. In this study, we used the GATE Monte Carlo simulation platform (version 9.3) to simulate a 67.5 MeV proton beam produced with the ARRONAX isochronous cyclotron (IBA Cyclone 70XP) at conventional dose rate (0.2Gy/s) to simulate the irradiation of ultra-pure liquid water samples and Fricke dosimeter. We compared the depth dose profile with measurements performed with a plane parallel Advanced PTW 34045 Markus ionization chamber. Then, a new Geant4-DNA chemistry application proposed from Geant4 version 11.2 has been used to assess the evolution of , , , , , , and reactive species along time until 1-h post-irradiation. In particular, the effect of oxygen and pH has been investigated through comparisons with experimental measurements of radiolytic yields for and Fe3+. GATE simulations reproduced, within 4%, the depth dose profile in liquid water. With Geant4-DNA, we were able to reproduce experimental radiolytic yields 1-h post-irradiation in aerated and deaerated conditions, showing the impact of small changes in oxygen concentrations on species evolution along time. For the Fricke dosimeter, simulated G(Fe3+) is 15.97±0.2 molecules/100eV which is 11% higher than the measured value (14.4±04 molecules/100 eV). These results aim to be consolidated by new comparisons involving other radiolytic species, such as or to further study the mechanisms underlying the FLASH effect observed at ultra-high dose rates (UHDR).

Characterization of accurate 3D collimator-detector response function for single- and multi-lofthole collimated SPECT cameras.

Collimator-detector response function (CDRF) of a SPECT scanner refers to the image generated from a point source of activity. This research aims to characterize the CDRF of a breast-dedicated SPECT imager equipped with a lofthole collimator using GATE Monte Carlo simulation. To do so, a cylindrical multi-lofthole collimation system with lofthole apertures dedicated to breast imaging was modeled using the GATE Monte Carlo simulator. The dependency of the CDRF on the source-to-collimator distance of a single-lofthole as well as 8-lofthole collimations was assessed and then compared. In addition, the 3D-sensitivity map of the 8-lofthole collimation was derived. Finally, fair comparisons were conducted between the response of the 8-lofthole collimator and that of an 8-pinhole and also existing analytical derivations. In all cases, a data acquisition period of 5.0 min with an in-air 99mTc point source was considered. For the single-lofthole collimator, 4.5 times increasing the magnification factor leads to a 16- and twofold improvement in the sensitivity and spatial resolution, respectively. In the single-lofthole collimator, the resolution and sensitivity are degraded as the source-to-aperture distance increases. For the cylindrical 8-lofthole collimator, the findings confirm that CDRF strongly depends on source-to-aperture distance and angle of photon incidence. For a 30 mm in-plane offset point, a 25% increase in sensitivity is observed compared to that of the center of the FOV. Increasing the angle from 0 to 34 results in a 50% reduction in sensitivity. Furthermore, the findings illustrate that spatial resolution follows a quadratic function as where d is an offset along the x-, y-, and z-axis, and R0 is the spatial resolution at the center of the FOV. In conclusion, both spatial resolution and sensitivity of the lofthole collimation are considerably angle- and offset-dependent within the FOV of single- and multi-lofthole collimated SPECT imagers.

Artificial High- and Low-density Materials in Bone Mineral Densitometry Using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry: A GATE Monte Carlo Simulation of "Black-hole" Artifact.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of artificial high- and low-density materials on Bone mineral density (BMD)scans in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method and emergence of black-hole artifact through GATE Monte Carlo simulation. GATE Monte Carlo code was utilized to simulate the artifact encountered in clinical scans acquired by HOLOGIC® bone densitometer. Two simplified phantoms were designed. The first one was a rectangular box with six smaller cubes inside and the second one was a body torso. Materials of cubes were spine bone, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), barium sulfate suspension in water, stainless steel, titanium alloy, and gold. The torso phantom contained objects of 5 vertebrae, bowel and 3 small spherical objects near the surface of the torso as piercing objects on the abdominal wall, each overlying the vertebrae. Using 100 and 140 kVp, spectral X-rays were generated to simulate DXA. For both phantoms, two simulations were carried out. The pair of projections acquired for each phantom were then subtracted and analyzed by curve fitting techniques. Except for spine bone, in which radio-opacity decreases with increasing spectral X-ray energy (from 100 to 140 kVp), other squares exhibit little changes over different energies. PMMA shows consistently very low radio-opacity. Four other materials (barium sulfate in water, stainless steel alloy, titanium alloy, and gold), all attenuate the X-ray photons substantially. Except for spine bone, other materials are barely noticeable in pairwise subtracted images. In torso phantom, piercing objects are visualized as "holes" in vertebrae. Both artificial high- and low-density materials, compared to bone, are eliminated during the subtraction of dual-energy X-ray profiles and therefore, can create black-hole artifact.

Calculation of Organ Dose Distribution (in-field and Out-of-field) in Breast Cancer Radiotherapy on RANDO Phantom Using GEANT4 Application for Tomographic Emission (Gate) Monte Carlo Simulation.

Organ dose distribution calculation in radiotherapy and knowledge about its side effects in cancer etiology is the most concern for medical physicists. Calculation of organ dose distribution for breast cancer treatment plans with Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is the main goal of this study. Elekta Precise linear accelerator (LINAC) photon mode was simulated and verified using the GEANT4 application for tomographic emission. Eight different radiotherapy treatment plans on RANDO's phantom left breast were produced with the ISOgray treatment planning system (TPS). The simulated plans verified photon dose distribution in clinical tumor volume (CTV) with TPS dose volume histogram (DVH) and gamma index tools. To verify photon dose distribution in out-of-field organs, the point dose measurement results were compared with the same point doses in the MC simulation. Eventually, the DVHs for out-of-field organs that were extracted from the TPS and MC simulation were compared. Based on the implementation of gamma index tools with 2%/2 mm criteria, the simulated LINAC output demonstrated high agreement with the experimental measurements. Plan simulation for in-field and out-of-field organs had an acceptable agreement with TPS and experimental measurement, respectively. There was a difference between DVHs extracted from the TPS and MC simulation for out-of-field organs in low-dose parts. This difference is due to the inability of the TPS to calculate dose distribution in out-of-field organs. Based on the results, it was concluded that the treatment plans with the MC simulation have a high accuracy for the calculation of out-of-field dose distribution and could play a significant role in evaluating the important role of dose distribution for second primary cancer estimation.

Exploring the impact of anode material on X-ray photon fluence and characteristics: A Monte Carlo simulation study

This study investigates the critical significance of anode material selection in defining the energy spectrum and properties of X-ray photons in medical physics applications. Using the GATE platform and Monte Carlo simulations, a direct relationship between anode material atomic number and photon fluence is demonstrated. As the atomic number increases from Z = 29 (Copper) to Z = 74 (Tungsten), photon fluence rises by 62 %, indicating a substantial impact on X-ray production. Furthermore, the X-ray spectrum is affected by this material-driven changes, revealing a noticeable shift towards higher energy values: the mean energy of the continuous spectrum rises from 46.97 keV for Copper to 49.0 keV for Tungsten. The thermal properties of the material affect the temperature increase at the focal point. Rhodium and Molybdenum have a higher temperature rise than Copper (Cu) and Tungsten (W), because Cu and W have a greater thermal diffusion compared to other materials. These findings underscore the significance of anode material choice in optimizing X-ray systems which may enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in diverse applications.

Conceptual design of a low-dose multi-parameter imaging system: Positron annihilation interaction-transmission imaging (PAITI)

The feasibility of Positron Annihilation Interaction-Transmission Imaging (PAITI), a novel 2D imaging modality based on positron annihilation photons, has been demonstrated through theoretical analysis and GATE Monte Carlo simulations. This system consists of two pixelated detectors on opposite sides of a point-like positron source. The object under investigation is positioned between the source and one of the detectors. By analyzing singles, coincidence, and anticoincidence counts, multiple 2D maps of the medium under investigation can be produced from a single data acquisition, such as the map of the number of occurred interactions, linear attenuation coefficient map, deposited energy map, and electron density map.Performance evaluations were conducted using simulated uniform phantoms (water, carbon, cortical bone, and titanium) and nonuniform phantoms (air and bone inside water). The average relative errors for determining the number of occurred interactions and attenuation coefficient were 4.42% and 5.0%, respectively. Additionally, the average relative errors for determining deposited energy and electron density were 3.15% and 4.7%, respectively. The system's capacity to discern fluctuations in electron density was also examined, demonstrating its capability to identify changes of 12.25% with a confidence level surpassing 95.3%, even at an absorbed dose much less than 15.14 ± 0.25 μGy.The results demonstrated the system's potential for future advancements and practical applications in medical imaging, specifically for low-dose multi-parameter anatomical imaging. In addition, the system's ability to determine electron density enables it to perform bone densitometry and ion range determination, with the latter being critical for patient-specific treatment planning for ion therapy.

Photon beam modeling: A comparative study of primo and gate simulation toolkits for the TrueBeam STx Linac

This study compares the PRIMO and GATE Monte Carlo simulation toolkits for modeling photon beams from a TrueBeam STx Linac used in radiation therapy. Various beam configurations were evaluated against Varian's Golden Beam Data using the Gamma Index method. Both toolkits demonstrated good agreement overall, with GATE generally achieving higher gamma pass rates for percent depth dose curves than PRIMO.

Monte Carlo Dosimetry Validation for X-Ray Guided Endovascular Procedures

Endovascular treatment is continuously gaining ground in vascular surgery procedures. However, current patient radiation dose estimation does not take into account the exact patient morphology and organs' composition. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation can accurately estimate the dose by recreating the irradiation process generated during X-ray-guided interventions. This study aimed to validate the MC simulation models by comparing simulated and measured dose distributions in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) procedures. We conducted a clinical study in patients treated for EVAR. Patient dose measurements were taken with passive dosimeters using Optically Stimulated Luminescence technology in 4 specific anatomical points on the skin: xiphoid process, pubic symphysis, right and left iliac crest. Dose measurements were compared to the corresponding simulated doses with the Geant4 Application for Emission Tomography (GATE) and GPU Geant4-based Monte Carlo Simulations (GGEMS) MC simulations softwares. The MC simulation took as input the computed tomography scan of the patient and the parameters of the imaging system (orientation angles, tube voltage, and aluminum filtration) and gives as output the three-dimensional (3D) dose map for each patient and angulation. A good agreement with real doses was found for doses simulated by the MC GATE method (P<0.0001; r=0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.96-0.98]), as well as for doses simulated by the GGEMS method (P<0.0001; r=0.96; 95% CI [0.94-0.97]). The mean relative error for all measurements was 5±5% in the MC GATE group and 6±5% in the GGEMS group. Process execution on GGEMS (6sec) was faster than the GATE MC simulation (5hr). Considering the current imaging settings, this study shows the potential of using the GATE and GGEMS MC simulations platforms to model the 3D dose distributions during EVAR procedures.

A GATE simulation study for dosimetry in cancer cell and micrometastasis from the 225Ac decay chain

BackgroundRadiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) with alpha-emitting radionuclides has shown great promise in treating metastatic cancers. The successive emission of four alpha particles in the 225Ac decay chain leads to highly targeted and effective cancer cell death. Quantifying cellular dosimetry for 225Ac RPT is essential for predicting cell survival and therapeutic success. However, the leading assumption that all 225Ac progeny remain localized at their target sites likely overestimates the absorbed dose to cancer cells. To address limitations in existing semi-analytic approaches, this work evaluates S-values for 225Ac’s progeny radionuclides with GATE Monte Carlo simulations.MethodsThe cellular geometries considered were an individual cell (10 µm diameter with a nucleus of 8 µm diameter) and a cluster of cells (micrometastasis) with radionuclides localized in four subcellular regions: cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, or whole cell. The absorbed dose to the cell nucleus was scored, and self- and cross-dose S-values were derived. We also evaluated the total absorbed dose with various degrees of radiopharmaceutical internalization and retention of the progeny radionuclides 221Fr (t1/2 = 4.80 m) and 213Bi (t1/2 = 45.6 m).ResultsFor the cumulative 225Ac decay chain, our self- and cross-dose nuclear S-values were both in good agreement with S-values published by MIRDcell, with per cent differences ranging from − 2.7 to − 8.7% for the various radionuclide source locations. Source location had greater effects on self-dose S-values than the intercellular cross-dose S-values. Cumulative 225Ac decay chain self-dose S-values increased from 0.167 to 0.364 GyBq−1 s−1 with radionuclide internalization from the cell surface into the cell. When progeny migration from the target site was modelled, the cumulative self-dose S-values to the cell nucleus decreased by up to 71% and 21% for 221Fr and 213Bi retention, respectively.ConclusionsOur GATE Monte Carlo simulations resulted in cellular S-values in agreement with existing MIRD S-values for the alpha-emitting radionuclides in the 225Ac decay chain. To obtain accurate absorbed dose estimates in 225Ac studies, accurate understanding of daughter migration is critical for optimized injected activities. Future work will investigate other novel preclinical alpha-emitting radionuclides to evaluate therapeutic potency and explore realistic cellular geometries corresponding to targeted cancer cell lines.

Walk-through flat panel total-body PET: a patient-centered design for high throughput imaging at lower cost using DOI-capable high-resolution monolithic detectors

PurposeLong axial field-of-view (LAFOV) systems have a much higher sensitivity than standard axial field-of-view (SAFOV) PET systems for imaging the torso or full body, which allows faster and/or lower dose imaging. Despite its very high sensitivity, current total-body PET (TB-PET) throughput is limited by patient handling (positioning on the bed) and often a shortage of available personnel. This factor, combined with high system costs, makes it hard to justify the implementation of these systems for many academic and nearly all routine nuclear medicine departments. We, therefore, propose a novel, cost-effective, dual flat panel TB-PET system for patients in upright standing positions to avoid the time-consuming positioning on a PET-CT table; the walk-through (WT) TB-PET. We describe a patient-centered, flat panel PET design that offers very efficient patient throughput and uses monolithic detectors (with BGO or LYSO) with depth-of-interaction (DOI) capabilities and high intrinsic spatial resolution. We compare system sensitivity, component costs, and patient throughput of the proposed WT-TB-PET to a SAFOV (= 26 cm) and a LAFOV (= 106 cm) LSO PET systems.MethodsPatient width, height (= top head to start of thighs) and depth (= distance from the bed to front of patient) were derived from 40 randomly selected PET-CT scans to define the design dimensions of the WT-TB-PET. We compare this new PET system to the commercially available Siemens Biograph Vision 600 (SAFOV) and Siemens Quadra (LAFOV) PET-CT in terms of component costs, system sensitivity, and patient throughput. System cost comparison was based on estimating the cost of the two main components in the PET system (Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) and scintillators). Sensitivity values were determined using Gate Monte Carlo simulations. Patient throughput times (including CT and scout scan, patient positioning on bed and transfer) were recorded for 1 day on a Siemens Vision 600 PET. These timing values were then used to estimate the expected patient throughput (assuming an equal patient radiotracer injected activity to patients and considering differences in system sensitivity and time-of-flight information) for WT-TB-PET, SAFOV and LAFOV PET.ResultsThe WT-TB-PET is composed of two flat panels; each is 70 cm wide and 106 cm high, with a 50-cm gap between both panels. These design dimensions were justified by the patient sizes measured from the 40 random PET-CT scans. Each panel consists of 14 × 20 monolithic BGO detector blocks that are 50 × 50 × 16 mm in size and are coupled to a readout with 6 × 6 mm SiPMs arrays. For the WT-TB-PET, the detector surface is reduced by a factor of 1.9 and the scintillator volume by a factor of 2.2 compared to LAFOV PET systems, while demonstrating comparable sensitivity and much better uniform spatial resolution (< 2 mm in all directions over the FOV). The estimated component cost for the WT-TB-PET is 3.3 × lower than that of a 106 cm LAFOV system and only 20% higher than the PET component costs of a SAFOV. The estimated maximum number of patients scanned on a standard 8-h working day increases from 28 (for SAFOV) to 53–60 (for LAFOV in limited/full acceptance) to 87 (for the WT-TB-PET). By scanning faster (more patients), the amount of ordered activity per patient can be reduced drastically: the WT-TB-PET requires 66% less ordered activity per patient than a SAFOV.ConclusionsWe propose a monolithic BGO or LYSO-based WT-TB-PET system with DOI measurements that departs from the classical patient positioning on a table and allows patients to stand upright between two flat panels. The WT-TB-PET system provides a solution to achieve a much lower cost TB-PET approaching the cost of a SAFOV system. High patient throughput is increased by fast patient positioning between two vertical flat panel detectors of high sensitivity. High spatial resolution (< 2 mm) uniform over the FOV is obtained by using DOI-capable monolithic scintillators.

A simulation study of 1D U-Net-based inter-crystal scatter event recovery of PET detectors

To achieve high spatial resolution of reconstructed images in positron emission tomography (PET), the size of the scintillation crystal element is set small in current PET systems, which greatly increases the inter-crystal scattering (ICS) frequency. The ICS is a type of Compton scattering of the gamma photons from one crystal element to its neighborhood element, which obscures the determination of the first interaction position. In this study, we propose a 1D U-Net convolutional neural network to predict the first interaction position, which provides a universal way to efficiently solve the ICS recovery problem. The network is trained using the dataset collected from the GATE Monte Carlo simulation. The 1D U-Net structure is applied due to its capability of synthesizing both low-level and high-level information, which shows superiority in solving the ICS recovery problem. After being well trained, the 1D U-Net can generate a prediction accuracy of 78.1%. Compared to the coincidence events only composed from two photoelectric gamma photons, the sensitivity is improved by 149%. The contrast-to-noise ratio of the reconstructed contrast phantom increases from 6.973 to 10.795 for the 16 mm hot sphere. Compared to the take-energy-centroid method, the spatial resolution of the reconstructed resolution phantom can obtain the best improvement of 33.46%. Compared with the previous deep learning method based on the fully connected network, the proposed 1D U-Net can work more stably with considerably fewer network parameters. The 1D U-Net network model shows good universality when predicting different phantoms, and the computation speed is fast.

NEMA NU 1-2018 performance characterization and Monte Carlo model validation of the Cubresa Spark SiPM-based preclinical SPECT scanner

BackgroundThe Cubresa Spark is a novel benchtop silicon-photomultiplier (SiPM)-based preclinical SPECT system. SiPMs in SPECT significantly improve resolution and reduce detector size compared to preclinical cameras with photomultiplier tubes requiring highly magnifying collimators. The NEMA NU 1 Standard for Performance Measurements of Gamma Cameras provides methods that can be readily applied or extended to characterize preclinical cameras with minor modifications. The primary objective of this study is to characterize the Spark according to the NEMA NU 1-2018 standard to gain insight into its nuclear medicine imaging capabilities. The secondary objective is to validate a GATE Monte Carlo simulation model of the Spark for use in preclinical SPECT studies.MethodsNEMA NU 1-2018 guidelines were applied to characterize the Spark’s intrinsic, system, and tomographic performance with single- and multi-pinhole collimators. Phantoms were fabricated according to NEMA specifications with deviations involving high-resolution modifications. GATE was utilized to model the detector head with the single-pinhole collimator, and NEMA measurements were employed to tune and validate the model. Single-pinhole and multi-pinhole SPECT data were reconstructed with the Software for Tomographic Image Reconstruction and HiSPECT, respectively.ResultsThe limiting intrinsic resolution was measured as 0.85 mm owing to a high-resolution SiPM array combined with a 3 mm-thick scintillation crystal. The average limiting tomographic resolution was 1.37 mm and 1.19 mm for the single- and multi-pinhole collimators, respectively, which have magnification factors near unity at the center of rotation. The maximum observed count rate was 15,400 cps, and planar sensitivities of 34 cps/MBq and 150 cps/MBq were measured at the center of rotation for the single- and multi-pinhole collimators, respectively. All simulated tests agreed well with measurement, where the most considerable deviations were below 7%.ConclusionsNEMA NU 1-2018 standards determined that a SiPM detector mitigates the need for highly magnifying pinhole collimators while preserving detailed information in projection images. Measured and simulated NEMA results were highly comparable with differences on the order of a few percent, confirming simulation accuracy and validating the GATE model. Of the collimators initially provided with the Spark, the multi-pinhole collimator offers high resolution and sensitivity for organ-specific imaging of small animals, and the single-pinhole collimator enables high-resolution whole-body imaging of small animals.

177Lu SPECT imaging in the presence of 90Y: does 90Y degrade image quantification? a simulation study

This work aims to investigate the accuracy of quantitative SPECT imaging of 177Lu in the presence of 90Y, which occurs in dual-isotope radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) involving both isotopes. We used the GATE Monte Carlo simulation toolkit to conduct a phantom study, simulating spheres filled with 177Lu and 90Y placed in a cylindrical water phantom that was also filled with activity of both radionuclides. We simulated multiple phantom configurations and activity combinations by varying the location of the spheres, the concentrations of 177Lu and 90Y in the spheres, and the amount of background activity. We investigated two different scatter window widths to be used with triple energy window (TEW) scatter correction. We also created multiple realizations of each configuration to improve our assessment, leading to a total of 540 simulations. Each configuration was imaged using a simulated Siemens SPECT camera. The projections were reconstructed using the standard 3D OSEM algorithm, and errors associated with 177Lu activity quantification and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were determined. In all configurations, the quantification error was within ± 6% of the no-90Y case, and we found that quantitative accuracy may slightly improve when 90Y is present because of reduction of errors associated with TEW scatter correction. The CNRs were not significantly impacted by the presence of 90Y, but they were increased when a wider scatter window width was used for TEW scatter correction. The width of the scatter windows made a small but statistically significant difference of 1%–2% on the recovered 177Lu activity. Based on these results, we can conclude that activity quantification of 177Lu and lesion detectability is not degraded by the presence of 90Y.

PO-1815 CBCT dose distribution calculation with GATE Monte Carlo simulations for lymphoma patients

PO-1815 CBCT dose distribution calculation with GATE Monte Carlo simulations for lymphoma patients

A framework for prediction of personalized pediatric nuclear medical dosimetry based on machine learning and Monte Carlo techniques

Objective: A methodology is introduced for the development of an internal dosimetry prediction toolkit for nuclear medical pediatric applications. The proposed study exploits Artificial Intelligence techniques using Monte Carlo simulations as ground truth for accurate prediction of absorbed doses per organ prior to the imaging acquisition considering only personalized anatomical characteristics of any new pediatric patient. Approach: GATE Monte Carlo simulations were performed using a population of computational pediatric models to calculate the specific absorbed dose rates (SADRs) in several organs. A simulated dosimetry database was developed for 28 pediatric phantoms (age range 2–17 years old, both genders) and 5 different radiopharmaceuticals. Machine Learning regression models were trained on the produced simulated dataset, with leave one out cross validation for the prediction model evaluation. Hyperparameter optimization and ensemble learning techniques for a variation of input features were applied for achieving the best predictive power, leading to the development of a SADR prediction toolkit for any new pediatric patient for the studied organs and radiopharmaceuticals. Main results. SADR values for 30 organs of interest were calculated via Monte Carlo simulations for 28 pediatric phantoms for the cases of five radiopharmaceuticals. The relative percentage uncertainty in the extracted dose values per organ was lower than 2.7%. An internal dosimetry prediction toolkit which can accurately predict SADRs in 30 organs for five different radiopharmaceuticals, with mean absolute percentage error on the level of 8% was developed, with specific focus on pediatric patients, by using Machine Learning regression algorithms, Single or Multiple organ training and Artificial Intelligence ensemble techniques. Significance: A large simulated dosimetry database was developed and utilized for the training of Machine Learning models. The developed predictive models provide very fast results (<2 s) with an accuracy >90% with respect to the ground truth of Monte Carlo, considering personalized anatomical characteristics and the biodistribution of each radiopharmaceutical. The proposed method is applicable to other medical dosimetry applications in different patients’ populations.

FETAL DOSE ESTIMATION DURING PREGNANCY USING GATE MONTE CARLO SIMULATION: APPLICATION OF HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA RADIOTHERAPY.

The aim of this study is to estimate the fetal radiation dose for a pregnant patient treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Due to the supradiaphragmatic extensions, two plans are used for this treatment, one for supra-clavicular and the other for cervical lymph nodes, with beam energies of 18 and 6 MV, respectively. We model the ELEKTA accelerator (Versa HD Ltd, Crawly, UK) and the pregnant patient using GATE code. The accelerator is modelled based on the vendor-supplied data and the pregnant patient is modeled with a voxelized pregnant woman phantom (Katja, 29 years old) at the 24th week of pregnancy. In each plan, we estimate the absorbed dose of each fetus organ by delivering a 2Gy for one fraction and then multiplying the result by 15 fractions to get the total prescribed dose, then we calculate the mean fetal absorbed dose. The results indicate that the mean absorbed fetal dose was 26.18mGy.