A study on PET image quality using both strong magnetic fields and a ML-EM positron range correction algorithm

The image resolution for small animal PET systems using high energy positron emitters, such as 68Ga and 94mTc, is dominated by the positron range. The blurring caused by the positron range can be reduced through the use of an iterative reconstruction algorithm that statistically corrects for the range of the positron. This study investigates the effects of 7T magnetic fields on PET image quality while using a 3D ML-EM positron range correction algorithm in the image reconstruction.