High performance cardiac SPECT camera: Resolution and sensitivity simulations

Abstract

SPECT is primarily used in the clinic for cardiac myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). However, for SPECT, sensitivity is impaired due to the need for collimation. System resolution is poor as well. In this work we demonstrate the advantages of curved detector over a flat detector on a pinhole for cardiac applications using ray-tracing simulations and comparing to independently obtained theoretical derivations. For the flat detector we use parameters close to what we would expect the new multi-pinhole GE Discovery system. We show that using a paraboloid detector we can obtain sensitivity gains as much as ∼2.25 for similar resolutions as a flat detector by opening the pinhole diameter more or we could obtain a better resolution system (∼30% better on the average) by keeping same pinhole opening. Thus far we compared the effect of pinhole and have not included the intrinsic resolution yet.