FDG healthy volunteer imaging with the world’s first helmet-type brain PET

[Purpose] We developed the world’s first helmet-type time-of-flight (TOF) PET, which had a hemispherical detector arrangement. The developed system is characterized as its high-performance and compactness as well as an unusual seat-type design which enables keeping the subject’s eye view wide. Here, we report the basic performance characteristics and the first FDG imaging results of healthy volunteers. [Methods] The helmet-type PET consisted of 54 detectors. The 45 detectors were arranged to form a hemisphere and the other 9 detectors were placed to form a half-ring behind the neck. The detector was composed of 12×12 lutetium fine silicate (LFS) scintillators (4×4×10 mm3) connected to a 12×12 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array with one-to-one coupling. The energy window was 450–590 keV and the coincidence time window was 3.6 ns. Image reconstruction was performed using 3D-OSEM with 4 iterations and 8 subsets. The performance was characterized based on the NEMA NU2 standards. The coincidence timing resolution was measured using a 22Na point source. 18F-FDG PET and MRI were performed for 11 normal control subjects. The PET data were measured for 10 minutes starting at 45 minutes after injection of 285±23 MBq. [Results] The coincidence timing resolution was 235 ps. With the sensitivity gain of 5.7 (= 20-cm-diameter object / 3.5 cm TOF localization), the effective sensitivity was 24 cps/kBq and the effective noise-equivalent count ratio was 120 kcps@9 kBq/mL. The spatial resolution of the FBP image was 2.9 mm at the central position (1 cm offset) of the field-of-view. For the human FDG PET images, the gray matter was clearly visualized with a high contrast to the white matter. Small brain nuclei such as the substantia nigra, the red nucleus, and the superior colliculus were able to be identified. [Conclusion] We have successfully demonstrated first human imaging on the helmet-type PET.
第78回日本放射線技術学会総会学術大会