Time-of-flight Reconstruction Research Articles

Timing offset calibration for TOF PET using stationary line source scans at multiple positions

Background. Accurate timing offset calibration is crucial for time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) to mitigate image artifacts and improve quantitative accuracy. However, existing methods are often time-consuming, complex, or costly.Objective. This paper presents a method for TOF PET timing offset calibration that eliminates the need for costly equipment, phantoms, short-half-life sources, and precise source positioning.Approach. We estimate channel timing offsets using stationary scans of a68Ge line source, typically used for routine quality control, at a minimum of three non-coplanar positions, with each position scanned for two minutes. The line source positions are accurately determined by applying a simple algorithm to their reconstructed images, allowing precise calculation of arrival time differences. Channel timing offsets are estimated by solving a least squares problem. This method is assessed through analyses of phantoms and patient images using a RAYSOLUTION DigitMI 930 scanner.Main results. The estimated timing offsets ranged from -500 ps to 500 ps across all channels. Calibration with a minimum of three scanned positions was sufficient to correct these offsets, achieving less than a 1% discrepancy across various metrics of the image quality (IQ) phantom compared to 12 positions. This calibration significantly reduced edge artifacts in TOF reconstruction of both phantoms and patients. Furthermore, the IQ phantom displayed a 14% increase in average contrast recovery, a 61% reduction in average background variability across all spheres, and a 90% reduction in average residual error. Consistent with the phantom results, patient data revealed enhancements in maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) from 14% to 55% for lesions measuring 6 mm to 14 mm. The calibration also improved lesion-to-background contrast and eliminated artifacts caused by the spillover effect of the kidneys and bladder.Significance. The proposed method is fast, user-friendly, and cost-effective, effectively improving lesion detection and diagnostic accuracy.

Development and evaluation of a new high-TOF-resolution all-digital brain PET system

Objective. Time-of-flight (TOF) capability and high sensitivity are essential for brain-dedicated positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, as they improve the contrast and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enabling a precise localization of functional mechanisms in the different brain regions. Approach. We present a new brain PET system with transverse and axial field-of-view (FOV) of 320 mm and 255 mm, respectively. The system head is an array of 6 × 6 detection elements, each consisting of a 3.9 × 3.9 × 20 mm3 lutetium–yttrium oxyorthosilicate crystal coupled with a 3.93 × 3.93 mm2 SiPM. The SiPMs analog signals are individually digitized using the multi-voltage threshold (MVT) technology, employing a 1:1:1 coupling configuration. Main results. The brain PET system exhibits a TOF resolution of 249 ps at 5.3 kBq ml−1, an average sensitivity of 22.1 cps kBq−1, and a noise equivalent count rate (NECR) peak of 150.9 kcps at 8.36 kBq ml−1. Furthermore, the mini-Derenzo phantom study demonstrated the system’s ability to distinguish rods with a diameter of 2.0 mm. Moreover, incorporating the TOF reconstruction algorithm in an image quality phantom study optimizes the background variability, resulting in reductions ranging from 44% (37 mm) to 75% (10 mm) with comparable contrast. In the human brain imaging study, the SNR improved by a factor of 1.7 with the inclusion of TOF, increasing from 27.07 to 46.05. Time-dynamic human brain imaging was performed, showing the distinctive traits of cortex and thalamus uptake, as well as of the arterial and venous flow with 2 s per time frame. Significance. The system exhibited a good TOF capability, which is coupled with the high sensitivity and count rate performance based on the MVT digital sampling technique. The developed TOF-enabled brain PET system opens the possibility of precise kinetic brain PET imaging, towards new quantitative predictive brain diagnostics.

Visualization of small brain nuclei with a high-spatial resolution, clinically available whole-body PET scanner

ObjectiveTo verify the visibility of physiological 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake in nuclei in and around the brainstem by a whole-body (WB) silicon photomultiplier positron emission tomography (SiPM-PET) scanner with point-spread function (PSF) reconstruction using various iteration numbers.MethodsTen healthy subjects (5 men, 5 women; mean age, 56.0 ± 5.0 years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT using a WB SiPM-PET scanner and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain including a spin-echo three-dimensional sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolutions fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) and a 3D-T1 magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo (T1-MPRAGE) images were enrolled. Each acquired PET image was reconstructed using ordered-subset expectation maximization (OSEM) with iteration numbers of 4, 16, 64, and 256 (subset 5 fixed) + time-of-flight (TOF) + PSF. The reconstructed PET images and 3D-FLAIR images for each subject were registered to individual T1-MPRAGE volumes using normalized mutual information criteria. For each MR-coregistered individual PET image, the pattern of FDG uptake in the inferior olivary nuclei (ION), dentate nuclei (DN), midbrain raphe nuclei (MRN), inferior colliculi (IC), mammillary bodies (MB), red nuclei (RN), subthalamic nuclei (STN), lateral geniculate nuclei (LGN), medial geniculate nuclei (MGN), and superior colliculi (SC) was visually classified into the following three categories: good, clearly distinguishable FDG accumulation; fair, obscure contour of FDG accumulation; poor, FDG accumulation indistinguishable from surrounding uptake.ResultsAmong individual 18F-FDG PET images with OSEM iterations of 4, 16, 64, and 256 + TOF + PSF, the iteration numbers that showed the best visibility in each structure were as follows: ION, MRN, LGN, MGN, and SC, iteration 64; DN, iteration 16; IC, iterations 16, 64, and 256; MB, iterations 64 and 256; and RN and STN, iterations 16 and 64, respectively. Of the four iterations, the 18F-FDG PET image of iteration 64 visualized FDG accumulation in small structures in and around the brainstem most clearly (good, 98 structures; fair, 2 structures).ConclusionsA clinically available WB SiPM-PET scanner is useful for visualizing physiological FDG uptake in small brain nuclei, using a sufficiently high number of iterations for OSEM with TOF and PSF reconstructions.

HYPR4D kernel method on TOF PET data with validations including image-derived input function

BackgroundPositron emission tomography (PET) images are typically noisy especially in dynamic imaging where the PET data are divided into a number of short temporal frames often with a low number of counts. As a result, image features such as contrast and time–activity curves are highly variable. Noise reduction in PET is thus essential. Typical noise reduction methods tend to not preserve image features/patterns (e.g. contrast and size dependent) accurately. In this work, we report the first application of our HYPR4D kernel method on time-of-flight (TOF) PET data (i.e. PSF-HYPR4D-K-TOFOSEM). The proposed HYPR4D kernel method makes use of the mean 4D high frequency features and inconsistent noise patterns over OSEM subsets as well as the low noise property of the early reconstruction updates to achieve prior-free de-noising. The method was implemented and tested on the GE SIGNA PET/MR and was compared to the TOF reconstructions with PSF resolution modeling available on the system, namely PSF-TOFOSEM with and without standard post filter and PSF-TOFBSREM (TOF Q.Clear) with various beta values (regularization strengths).ResultsResults from experimental contrast phantom and human subject data with various PET tracers showed that the proposed method provides more robust and accurate image features compared to other regularization methods. The preservation of contrast for the PSF-HYPR4D-K-TOFOSEM was observed to be better and less dependent on the contrast and size of the target structures as compared to TOF Q.Clear and PSF-TOFOSEM with filter. At the same contrast level, PSF-HYPR4D-K-TOFOSEM achieved better 4D noise suppression than other methods (e.g. >2 times lower noise than TOF Q.Clear at the highest contrast). We also present a novel voxel search method to obtain an image-derived input function (IDIF) and demonstrate that the obtained IDIF is the most quantitative w.r.t. the measured blood samples when the acquired data are reconstructed with PSF-HYPR4D-K-TOFOSEM.ConclusionsThe overall results support superior performance of the PSF-HYPR4D-K-TOFOSEM for TOF PET data and demonstrate that the proposed method is likely suitable for all imaging tasks including the generation of IDIF without requiring any prior information as well as further improving the effective sensitivity of the imaging system.

Effect of iterations and time of flight on normal distributions of 82Rb PET relative perfusion and myocardial blood flow

BackgroundAs clinical use of myocardial blood flow (MBF) increases, dynamic series are becoming part of the typical workflow. The methods and parameters used to reconstruct these series require investigation to ensure accurate quantification. MethodsFifty-nine rest/stress dynamic 82Rb PET studies, acquired on a Biograph mCT, from a combination of normal volunteers and low-likelihood patients were reconstructed with and without time of flight (TOF) for varying iterations and processed to obtain relative perfusion and MBF polar maps. Regional values from mean polar maps were fit to a linear mixed-effect model to quantify convergence and select the optimal number of iterations. ResultsTOF reconstructions converged faster and yielded more uniform relative perfusion polar maps. However, the stress MBF distribution for TOF reconstructions was more heterogeneous, with a higher-intensity septal wall. This phenomenon requires further investigation, with right ventricle blood pool spillover possibly having an effect. Optimal reconstructions were defined as 5-iteration non-TOF (24-subset) reconstructions and 3-iteration TOF (21-subset) reconstructions. ConclusionOptimal cardiac reconstructions were identified for non-TOF and TOF reconstructions of dynamic series. TOF reconstruction presents as the more accurate method, given the more uniform relative perfusion distribution.

Shine-through artifact due to high-radioactivity bladder and bowel gas in 18F-FDG PET/CT: impact of time-of-flight algorithm and radioactivity concentration of urine in the bladder on the occurrence of the artifacts.

Shine-though artifact can appear as regions with falsely increased uptake in the immediate vicinity of large hot sources in 18F-FDG PET/CT. This artifact may adversely affect the assessment of tumor involvement in the regions adjacent to the bladder. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of shine-through artifacts in clinical 18F-FDG PET/CT examinations and the factors that can influence their occurrence and extent. PET/CT images were acquired with Discovery PET/CT 690. One hundred six patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT for clinical purposes were retrospectively reviewed. PET images were reconstructed using 3-dimensional ordered-subset expectation maximization with and without time-of-flight (TOF). The shine-through artifact was defined as an erroneous accumulation of 18F-FDG between the bladder and the air region in the intestine without attenuation correction (AC) errors. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the artifact was measured, and the effect of TOF on this artifact was evaluated. The SUVmax in the bladder was compared in patients with and without the artifacts. A phantom containing two spheres simulating bladder and rectal gas was imaged while changing the radioactivity of 18F-FDG solution in the bladder sphere. The relationship between the bladder sphere radioactivity and the SUVmax of the shine-through artifacts was evaluated. The shine-through artifact was more frequently observed on PET images reconstructed without TOF (12/106, 11.3%) as compared to PET images with TOF (8/106, 7.5%, p = 0.046). The SUVmax of the shine-through artifacts was significantly decreased by TOF reconstruction compared to non-TOF reconstruction (4.7 ± 1.7 vs 7.6 ± 3.1, p = 0.0078). The mean SUVmax of urinary bladders in patients with the artifacts was significantly higher than those without the artifacts on non-TOF images (74.9 ± 61.1 vs 46.3 ± 35.2, p = 0.038). In the phantom study, the SUVmax of the shine-through artifact increased as the radioactivity in the bladder-simulating sphere increased. Shine-through artifacts were observed in approximately 10% of clinical 18F-FDG PET/CT examinations. Their magnitude is significantly associated with the radioactivity in the bladder and can be reduced by employing TOF. Recognizing this artifact allows for a more accurate interpretation of 18F-FDG pelvic studies.

Deep learning–based time-of-flight (ToF) image enhancement of non-ToF PET scans

PurposeTo improve the quantitative accuracy and diagnostic confidence of PET images reconstructed without time-of-flight (ToF) using deep learning models trained for ToF image enhancement (DL-ToF).MethodsA total of 273 [18F]-FDG PET scans were used, including data from 6 centres equipped with GE Discovery MI ToF scanners. PET data were reconstructed using the block-sequential-regularised-expectation–maximisation (BSREM) algorithm with and without ToF. The images were then split into training (n = 208), validation (n = 15), and testing (n = 50) sets. Three DL-ToF models were trained to transform non-ToF BSREM images to their target ToF images with different levels of DL-ToF strength (low, medium, high). The models were objectively evaluated using the testing set based on standardised uptake value (SUV) in 139 identified lesions, and in normal regions of liver and lungs. Three radiologists subjectively rated the models using testing sets based on lesion detectability, diagnostic confidence, and image noise/quality.ResultsThe non-ToF, DL-ToF low, medium, and high methods resulted in − 28 ± 18, − 28 ± 19, − 8 ± 22, and 1.7 ± 24% differences (mean; SD) in the SUVmax for the lesions in testing set, compared to ToF-BSREM image. In background lung VOIs, the SUVmean differences were 7 ± 15, 0.6 ± 12, 1 ± 13, and 1 ± 11% respectively. In normal liver, SUVmean differences were 4 ± 5, 0.7 ± 4, 0.8 ± 4, and 0.1 ± 4%. Visual inspection showed that our DL-ToF improved feature sharpness and convergence towards ToF reconstruction. Blinded clinical readings of testing sets for diagnostic confidence (scale 0–5) showed that non-ToF, DL-ToF low, medium, and high, and ToF images scored 3.0, 3.0, 4.1, 3.8, and 3.5 respectively. For this set of images, DL-ToF medium therefore scored highest for diagnostic confidence.ConclusionDeep learning–based image enhancement models may provide converged ToF-equivalent image quality without ToF reconstruction. In clinical scoring DL-ToF-enhanced non-ToF images (medium and high) on average scored as high as, or higher than, ToF images. The model is generalisable and hence, could be applied to non-ToF images from BGO-based PET/CT scanners.

Evaluation of Reconstruction Algorithms to Validate the NEMA Phantom Results in Clinical Scenario - A Comparative Study Using Time-of-Flight versus Non-Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography Imaging.

Objectives:The objective is to standardize the reconstruction parameters for the time-of-flight (TOF) versus non-TOF positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging data and validation of the same in a clinical setting.Methods:The four spheres (10.0/13.0/17.0/22.0 mm) of the PET phantom (NEMA IQ Nu 2-2001) were filled with four times higher activity of [18F]-NaF than the background (5.3kBq/mL). Imaging (image matrix – 128 × 128 × 47, 2 min, 3D model) was done using two different (TOF/non-TOF) PET scanners. Phantom data were reconstructed in TOF and non-TOF modes for lutetium–yttrium oxyorthosilicate and non-TOF mode for bismuth germanate-based PET scanners. The reconstructed data (by varying iteration and subsets) that provided the best image contrast and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were evaluated. The whole-body [18F]-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT scans (7–8 frames; 2.0 min/frame) in 16 lymphoma patients were acquired at 60 min after injecting the radioactivity (370.0–444.0 MBq of [18F]-FDG. The clinical PET/CT data were reconstructed using phantom-derived reconstruction parameters and evaluated for image contrast and SNR of the detected lesions.Results:TOF reconstruction at second iteration provided significantly (P ≤ 0.02) higher SNR (20.7) and contrast (contrast recovery coefficient/background variability = 3.21) for the smallest hot lesions (10.0 mm) in the phantom than the non-TOF system. Similarly, in patient data analysis for the selected FDG avid lesions, the SNR values were significantly (P = 0.02) higher (13.3 ± 6.49) in TOF than (11 ± 6.48) in non-TOF system. Further, the small (≤10.0 mm) lesions were seen more distinctly in TOF system.Conclusion:It is thus observed that TOF reconstruction converged faster than the non-TOF, and the applicability of the same may impact the image quality and interpretation in the clinical PET data. The validation of the phantom-based experimental reconstruction parameters to clinical PET imaging data is highly warranted.

Impact of TOF on Brain PET With Short-Lived 11C-Labeled Tracers Among Suspected Patients With AD/PD: Using Hybrid PET/MRI.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of the time-of-flight (TOF) reconstruction on brain PET with short-lived 11C-labeled tracers in PET magnetic resonance (PET/MR) brain images among suspected patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (AD/PD).MethodsPatients who underwent 11C-2-ß-carbomethoxy-3-b-(4-fluorophenyl) tropane (11C-CFT) and 2-(4-N-[11C] methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole (11C-PiB) PET/MRI were retrospectively included in the study. Each PET LIST mode data were reconstructed with and without the TOF reconstruction algorithm. Standard uptake values (SUVs) of Caudate Nucleus (CN), Putamen (PU), and Whole-brain (WB) were measured. TOF and non-TOF SUVs were assessed by using paired t-test. Standard formulas were applied to measure contrast, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and percentage relative average difference of SUVs (%RAD-SUVs).ResultsTotal 75 patients were included with the median age (years) and body mass index (BMI-kg/m2) of 60.2 ± 10.9 years and 23.9 ± 3.7 kg/m2 in 11C-CFT (n = 41) and 62.2 ± 6.8 years and 24.7 ± 2.9 kg/m2 in 11C-PiB (n = 34), respectively. Higher average SUVs and positive %RAD-SUVs were observed in CN and PU in TOF compared with non-TOF reconstructions for the two 11C-labeled radiotracers. Differences of SUVmean were significant (p < 0.05) in CN and PU for both 11C-labeled radiotracers. SUVmax was enhanced significantly in CN and PU for 11C-CFT and CN for 11C-PiB, but not in PU. Significant contrast enhancement was observed in PU for both 11C-labeled radiotracers, whereas SNR gain was significant in PU, only for 11C-PiB in TOF reconstruction.ConclusionTime-of-flight leads to a better signal vs. noise trade-off than non-TOF in 11C-labeled tracers between CN and PU, improving the SUVs, contrast, and SNR, which were valuable for reducing injected radiation dose. Improved timing resolution aided the rapid decay rate of short-lived 11C-labeled tracers, and it shortened the scan time, increasing the patient comfort, and reducing the motion artifact among patients with AD/PD. However, one should adopt the combined TOF algorithm with caution for the quantitative analysis because it has different effects on the SUVmax, contrast, and SNR of different brain regions.

Optimizing reconstruction parameters for quantitative 124I-PET in the presence of therapeutic doses of 131I

BackgroundThe goal of this work was to determine the quantitative accuracy and optimal reconstruction parameters for 124I-PET imaging in the presence of therapeutic levels of 131I. In this effort, images were acquired on a GE D710 PET/CT scanner using a NEMA IEC phantom with spheres containing 124I and increasing amounts of 131I activity in the background. At each activity level, two scans were acquired, one with the phantom centered in the field of view (FOV) and one 11.2 cm off-center. Reconstructions used an ordered subset expectation maximization algorithm with up to 100 iterations of 16 subsets, with and without time-of-flight (TOF) information. Results were evaluated visually and by comparing the 124I activity relative to the scan performed in the absence of 131I.Results131I within the FOV added to the randoms rate, to dead time, and to pile-up within the detectors. Using our standard clinical reconstruction parameters, the image quality and quantitative accuracy suffered at 131I activities above 1.4 GBq. Convergence rates slowed progressively in the presence of increasing amounts of 131I for both TOF and nonTOF reconstructions. TOF reconstructions converged more quickly than nonTOF but often towards erroneous concentrations. Iterating nonTOF reconstructions to convergence produced quantitatively accurate images except for the off-center phantom at the very highest level of background 131I tested.ConclusionsThis study shows that quantitative PET is feasible in the presence of large amounts of 131I. The high randoms fractions resulted in slow reconstruction convergence and negatively impacted TOF corrections and/or the accuracy of TOF information. Therefore, increased iterations and nonTOF reconstructions are recommended.

Reducing Radiation Exposure to Paediatric Patients Undergoing [18F]FDG-PET/CT Imaging

PurposeTo investigate the possibility of reducing the injected activity for whole-body [18F]FDG-PET/CT studies of paediatric oncology patients and to assess the usefulness of time-of-flight (TOF) acquisition on PET image quality at reduced count levels.ProceduresTwenty-nine paediatric oncology patients (12F/17M, 3–18 years old (median age 13y), weight 45±20 kg, BMI 19±4 kg/m2), who underwent routine whole-body PET/CT examinations on a Siemens Biograph mCT TrueV system with TOF capability (555ps) were included in this study. The mean injected activity was 156 ± 45 MBq (3.8 ± 0.8 kg/MBq) and scaled to patient weight. The raw data was collected in listmode (LM) format and pre-processed to simulate reduced levels of [18F]FDG activity (75, 50, 35, 20 and 10% of the original counts) by randomly removing events from the original LM data. All data were reconstructed using the vendor-specific e7-tools with standard OSEM only, with OSEM plus resolution recovery (PSF). The reconstructions were repeated with added TOF (TOF) and PSF+TOF. The benefit of TOF together with the reduced count levels was evaluated by calculating the gains in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the liver and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in all PET-positive lesions before and after TOF employed at every simulated reduced count level. Finally, the PSF+TOF images at 50, 75 and 100% of counts were evaluated clinically on a 5-point scale by three nuclear medicine physicians.ResultsThe visual inspection of the reconstructed images did not reveal significant differences in image quality between 75 and 100% count levels for PSF+TOF. The improvements in SNR and CNR were the greatest for TOF reconstruction and PSF combined. Both SNR and CNR gains did increase linearly with the patients BMI for both OSEM only and PSF reconstruction. These benefits were observed until reducing the counts to 50 and 35% for SNR and CNR, respectively.ConclusionsThe benefit of using TOF was noticeable when using 50% or greater of the counts when evaluating the CNR and SNR. For [18F]FDG-PET/CT, whole-body paediatric imaging the injected activity can be reduced to 75% of the original dose without compromising PET image quality.

Prediction of tumor response and patient outcome after radioembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma using 90Y-PET-computed tomography dosimetry.

90Y-radioembolization using glass or resin microspheres is increasingly used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this retrospective study is to determine the prognostic relevance of dosimetric parameters defined with 90Y-PET-CT obtained immediately after radioembolization. Forty-five HCC patients, mostly with multiple lesions, were treated by radioembolization between 2011 and 2017. After treatment, all underwent a 90Y PET-CT with time of flight reconstruction (90Y-TOF-PET-CT). Tumor absorbed dose and cumulative tumor dose-volume histogram were calculated using a dose point Kernel convolution algorithm. The radiological tumor response was assessed using modified (m)-RECIST criteria. Progression-free-survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Twenty-six patients were treated with glass microspheres (73 lesions) and nineteen with resin microspheres (60 lesions). Thresholds of 118 and 61 Gy for glass and resin microspheres respectively correlate well with radiological response with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 98 and 80% and discriminate patient outcome with regard to PFS (P = 0.03 and 0.005) and OS (P = 0.003 and 0.007). Using dose volume histogram, a minimal absorbed dose of 40 Gy in 66% of the tumor volume (defined as D66) was highly predictive of radiological response (PPV = 94%), PFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P = 0. 008), for either device. Dosimetric parameters obtained using 90Y-PET-CT are predictive of tumor response, PFS and OS. In clinical practice, a systematic dosimetric evaluation using 90Y PET should be implemented to help predicting patient outcomes.

PET Image Quality Improvement for Simultaneous PET/MRI with a Lightweight MRI Surface Coil.

Background During simultaneous PET/MRI, flexible MRI surface coils that lay on the patient are often omitted from PET attenuation correction processing, leading to quantification bias in PET images. Purpose To identify potential PET image quality improvement by using a recently developed lightweight MRI coil technology for the anterior array (AA) surface coil in both a phantom and in vivo study. Materials and Methods A phantom study and a prospective in vivo study were performed with a PET/CT scanner under three conditions: (a) no MRI surface coil (standard of reference), (b) traditional AA coil, and (c) lightweight AA coil. AA coils were not used in attenuation correction processing to emulate clinical PET/MRI. For the phantom study, PET images were reconstructed with and without time of flight (TOF) to assess quantification accuracy and uniformity. The in vivo study consisted of 10 participants (mean age, 66 years ± 10 [standard deviation]; six men) referred for a PET/CT oncologic examination who had undergone imaging between October 2019 and February 2020. Assessment of image quantification bias (defined as the standard error of the mean values) was conducted by comparing mean liver region of interest standardized uptake values with the no-coil standard of reference. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to establish significance. Results For TOF and non-TOF, respectively, the phantom study revealed a mean PET quantification bias of -9.0% and -8.6% with the traditional AA coil and a mean PET quantification bias of -4.3% and -4.0% with the lightweight AA coil. The coefficients of variation reduced from 4.3% and 6.2% with the traditional AA coil to 2.1% and 2.7% with the lightweight AA coil, which demonstrated a homogeneity benefit from the lightweight coil that was greater with, versus without, TOF reconstruction. For the in vivo study, the mean liver standardized uptake value error was -5.9% with the traditional AA coil (P = .002 vs no coil) and -2.4% with the lightweight AA coil (P = .004 vs no coil). Conclusion The lightweight anterior array coil reduced PET image quantification bias by more than 50% compared with the traditional coil. Using the lightweight coil and performing time of flight-based reconstruction each reduced the variation of error. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Effects of TOF Resolution Models on Edge Artifacts in PET Reconstruction from Limited-Angle Data.

Limited-angle data, such as data obtained from a dual-panel Breast-PET scanner, result in substantial image blur in directions coinciding with the missing cone of the image spectrum. On systems with time-of-flight (TOF) capabilities, this blur is reduced as given by the TOF uncertainty, with the image spectrum being correspondingly expanded into the missing spectral cone. Modeling of the TOF uncertainty in the reconstruction is expected to deconvolve this residual TOF blurring. We have however observed that, as a tradeoff, this TOF de-blurring process also introduces ringing artifacts at the edges, analogous to the edge effects observed with line-of-response (LOR) resolution modeling, which attempts to deconvolve the blur due to detector resolution effects. However, in the former case, the ringing artifacts are much wider due to the spatial extent of the TOF uncertainty as compared to the width of typical LOR resolution blur. We illustrate and investigate the effects of using matched, as well as under-modeled and over-modeled, TOF kernels on edge artifacts in reconstruction from limited-angle data, and compare them with TOF reconstructions of complete data. Although for the conventional data with full angular coverage the reconstruction is fairly insensitive to the exact size of the TOF kernel and TOF modeling does not produce ringing artifacts, it is not the case for the limited-angle data. We show that it is important to use some form of regularization of the TOF uncertainty deconvolution process within reconstruction of the limited-angle data, such as decreasing the TOF kernel size.

Time-of-flight (TOF) implementation for PET reconstruction in practice

The time-of-flight (TOF) feature of PET scanners has been used for a long time in PET reconstruction, but many implementational aspects are still incomplete or ambiguous in the literature. Here we formalize and present theoretical and practical implementation details for the reconstruction of clinical TOF histogram and list-mode data using ML-EM. Relevant aspects include the computation of the TOF component of the system matrix, the processing of TOF bins, the use of estimations of random and scattered coincidences, and differences between histogram and list-mode ML-EM TOF reconstruction. Several approaches and approximations have been implemented in the CASToR platform and compared for OSEM reconstructions of patient data from the GE Signa PET/MR scanner. Differences between implementations are not larger than the typical bias in clinical data reconstruction. The largest difference and contrast loss occur when the processing of histogram TOF bins is simplified, and list-mode reconstruction is most sensitive to the truncation of the Gaussian TOF probability distribution.

Phasor field waves: experimental demonstrations of wave-like properties.

Time-of-flight (ToF) non-line-of-sight (NLoS) imaging reconstructs images of scenes with light that have undergone diffuse reflections. While, in the past, ToF light propagation and reconstruction methods have been described using their own inverse methods, it has recently been shown that ToF light transport can be described as the propagation of a wave, allowing it to be modeled by the same methods that are applied for direct imaging with electromagnetic or sound waves. This wave of fluctuating optical irradiance is called the phasor field (P-field) wave. Here, we perform a series of experiments to show the wave-like behavior of this P-field wave. We design a P-field source and detector and use them to demonstrate interference of P-field waves in a double slit experiment, as well as mutually-independent focusing and imaging of P-field waves and their optical carrier. Besides establishing the properties of P-field waves, our work demonstrates that imaging of ToF signals is possible without any computation enabling fast and energy-efficient NLoS imaging systems.

Diffusion-weighted imaging as a part of PET/MR for small lesion detection in patients with primary abdominal and pelvic cancer, with or without TOF reconstruction technique.

To investigate the value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in detection of small lesions (≤ 10mm) in patients with primary abdominal and pelvic cancer in hybrid PET/MR with or without time-of-flight (TOF) technique. Twenty patients (11 females and 9 males, mean age 67.23 ± 12.90 years) with histologically confirmed primary abdominal and pelvic cancer underwent hybrid PET/MR examination. A total of 64 small lesions were included in this study, which were divided into two groups (≤ 10mm and 10-30mm). Visual scores of small lesion detection ability were rated by five-point ordinal scale. The visual scores and detectability of small lesions on TOF PET image, noTOF PET image, and DWI sequences of hybrid PET/MR examination with or without TOF technique were analyzed. Logistic regression model was established for analysis in the value of DWI in hybrid PET/MR examination with or without TOF technique in detection of the small lesions between two groups. The visual evaluation revealed the small lesion (≤ 10mm) visual scores of DWI (mean ± SD: 4.23 ± 1.41), TOF PET image (mean ± SD: 4.14 ± 0.89), and noTOF PET image (mean ± SD: 2.68 ± 1.13);.and the visual scores of small lesions (10-30mm) on DWI (mean ± SD: 4.98 ± 0.15), TOF PET image (mean ± SD: 4.57 ± 0.59), and noTOF PET image (mean ± SD: 3.98 ± 1.05). The visual scores of all small lesions on DWI were higher than that on TOF PET data and noTOF PET data in both two groups (**P < 0.01). The missed diagnosis rates of small FDG avid lesions (≤ 10mm) of DWI and noTOF PET image were 9.1% and 9.1%, respectively. However, the TOF PET-based clinical diagnosis detected all small lesions (≤ 30mm). DWI was of great importance in detection of small lesions (≤ 10mm) in the absence of TOF technique in PET/MR examination (**P < 0.01). DWI's effect on detection of small lesions(10-30mm) has shown no difference between PET/MR examinations with TOF and without TOF techniques (P > 0.05). DWI has significant value in the detection of small lesions (≤ 10mm) in hybrid PET/MR examination without TOF technique for patients with primary abdominal and pelvic cancer. However, it had less detection benefits in the small lesions (≤ 10mm) in hybrid PET/MR examination with TOF PET image.

Implementation and validation of time-of-flight PET image reconstruction module for listmode and sinogram projection data in the STIR library

In this paper, we describe the implementation of support for time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) for both listmode and sinogram data in the open source software for tomographic image reconstruction (STIR). We provide validation and performance characterization using simulated data from the open source GATE Monte Carlo toolbox, with TOF configurations spanning from 81.2 to 209.6 ps. The coincidence detector resolution was corrected for the timing resolution deterioration due to the contribution of the crystal length. Comparison between the reconstruction of listmode and sinogram data demonstrated good agreement in both TOF and non-TOF cases in terms of relative absolute error. To reduce the reconstruction time, we assessed the truncation of the TOF kernel along lines-of-response (LOR). Rejection of LOR elements beyond four times the TOF standard deviation provides significant acceleration of without compromising the image quality. Further narrowing of the kernel can provide extra time reduction but with the gradual introduction of error in the reconstructed images. As expected, TOF reconstruction performs better than non-TOF in terms of both contrast-recovery-coefficient (CRC) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). CRC achieves convergence faster with TOF, at lower noise levels. SNR with TOF was superior for early iterations, but with quick deterioration. Higher timing resolution further improved reconstruction performance, while TOF bin mashing was shown to have only a small impact on reconstructed images.

Quantification and reduction of respiratory induced artifacts in positron emission tomography/computed tomography using the time-of-flight technique.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of time-of-flight (TOF) on quantification and reduction of respiratory artifacts. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association phantom was used for optimization of reconstruction parameters. Twenty seven patients with lesions located in the diaphragmatic region were evaluated. The PET images were retrospectively reconstructed using non-TOF (routine protocol in our department) and TOF algorithms with different reconstruction parameters. Maximum standardized uptake value, estimated maximum tumor diameter, coefficient of variation, signal-to-noise ratio, and lesion-to-background-ratio were also evaluated. On the basis of phantom experiments, TOF algorithms with two iterations, 18 subsets, and 5.4 mm and 6.4 mm postsmoothing filter reduced the noise by 3.1 and 12.6% in phantom with 2 : 1 activity ratio, and 3.0 and 13.1% in phantom with 4 : 1 activity ratio. The TOF algorithm with two iterations, 18 subsets, and 6.4 mm postsmoothing filter had the highest signal-to-noise value, and was selected as the optimal TOF reconstruction. Mean relative difference for signal-to-noise between non-TOF and optimal TOF in phantom with 2 : 1 and 4 : 1 activity ratio were 11.6 and 18.7%, respectively. In clinical data, the mean relative difference for estimated maximum tumor diameter and maximum standardized uptake value between routine protocol and optimal TOF algorithm were -6.3% (range: -20.4 to -0.6%) and 13.2% (range: 0.3-57.6%), respectively. Integration of TOF in reconstruction algorithm remarkably improved the white band artifact in the diaphragmatic region. This technique affected the quantification accuracy and resulted in smaller tumor size and higher standardized uptake value in tumors located in/near the diaphragmatic region.

Reduction of 18F-FDG Dose in Clinical PET/MR Imaging by Using Silicon Photomultiplier Detectors.

Purpose To determine the level of clinically acceptable reduction in injected fluorine 18 (18F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) dose in time-of-flight (TOF)-positron emission tomography(PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging by using silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) detectors compared with TOF-PET/computed tomography (CT) using Lu1.8Y0.2SiO5(Ce), or LYSO, detectors in patients with different body mass indexes (BMIs). Materials and Methods Patients were enrolled in this study as part of a larger prospective study with a different purpose than evaluated in this study (NCT02316431). All patients gave written informed consent prior to inclusion into the study. In this study, 74 patients with different malignant diseases underwent sequential whole-body TOF-PET/CT and TOF-PET/MR imaging. PET images with simulated reduction of injected 18F-FDG doses were generated by unlisting the list-mode data from PET/MR imaging. Two readers rated the image quality of whole-body data sets, as well as the image quality in each body compartment, and evaluated the conspicuity of malignant lesions. Results The image quality with 70% or 60% of the injected dose of 18F-FDG at PET/MR imaging was comparable to that at PET/CT. With 50% of the injected dose, comparable image quality was maintained among patients with a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2. PET images without TOF reconstruction showed higher artifact scores and deteriorated sharpness than those with TOF reconstruction. Conclusion Sixty percent of the usually injected 18F-FDG dose (reduction of up to 40%) in patients with a BMI of more than 25 kg/m2 results in clinically adequate PET image quality in TOF-PET/MR imaging performed by using SiPM detectors. Additionally, in patients with a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2, 50% of the injected dose may safely be used. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.