Quality Assurance for SPECT Systems
The objective of this publication is to provide professionals in nuclear medicine centres with detailed quality control test procedures for the scintillation camera and computer system. After studying this book, most qualified readers will be able to perform the three types of quality control tests, i.e. acceptance, reference and routine tests for the scintillation camera (also called the gamma camera) system for each of its imaging modes.
This publication focuses on the scintillation camera system, both in single and multiple head configurations, for obtaining images and quantitative data in planar imaging mode, whole body imaging mode and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In addition, a section is devoted to the nuclear medicine computer of the camera system and quality assurance of nuclear medicine software. The final section addresses quality control of the digital image display.
Contents
- 1. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
- 1.1. Objective and scope
- 1.2. Quality system, quality assurance and quality control in nuclear medicine
- 1.3. Principles of quality control of instruments
- 1.4. Selection and procurement
- 1.5. Care, handling and protection of equipment
- 1.6. Preventive maintenance
- 1.7. Acceptance and reference testing
- 1.8. Routine testing
- 1.9. Interdepartmental comparisons, external assessment and accreditation
- 1.10. Quality control records
- 1.11. Organizational aspects
- 1.12. Implementation of quality control
- 2. SCINTILLATION CAMERAS
- 2.1. Introduction
- 2.1.1. Basic principles, planar scintillation camera
- 2.1.2. Components of a planar scintillation camera
- 2.1.3. Basic principles, camera–computer systems
- 2.1.4. Components of a camera–computer system
- 2.1.5. Basis of schemes for testing scintillation camera performance
- 2.1.6. Performance characteristics
- 2.1.7. Operational considerations
- 2.2. Test schedule
- 2.3. Acceptance and reference tests
- 2.3.1. Physical inspection
- 2.3.2. Test of centring of PHA window settings
- 2.3.3. Test of intrinsic flood field uniformity
- 2.3.4. Test of intrinsic flood field uniformity through narrowed and asymmetric (off-centred) PHA windows
- 2.3.5. Test of intrinsic flood field uniformity for radionuclides other than 99mTc
- 2.3.6. Test of intrinsic spatial resolution
- 2.3.7. Test of system flood field uniformity
- 2.3.8. Test of system spatial resolution and spatial linearity
- 2.3.9. Test of system planar sensitivity
- 2.3.10. Test of collimator hole angulation
- 2.3.11. Test of intrinsic count rate performance
- 2.3.12. Test of basic computer timing
- 2.3.13. Test of computer timing in dynamic acquisition
- 2.3.14. Test of ECG gated acquisition
- 2.3.15. Test of multiple window spatial registration
- 2.3.16. Test of detector head shielding leakage
- 2.3.17. Test of routine spatial resolution and spatial linearity
- 2.4. Operational checks
- 2.1. Introduction
- 3. WHOLE BODY SCANNING SYSTEMS
- 4. SPECT SYSTEMS
- 4.1. Introduction
- 4.2. Test schedule
- 4.3. Acceptance and reference tests
- 4.3.1. Physical and mechanical inspection of the SPECT system
- 4.3.2. Test to determine the absolute size of a pixel
- 4.3.3. Test of tomographic uniformity of the system
- 4.3.4. Test of tomographic resolution in air
- 4.3.5. Test of tomographic resolution with scatter
- 4.3.6. Test of the centre of rotation offset and alignment of axes
- 4.3.7. Test of slice thickness at the centre of the field of view
- 4.3.8. Test of variations of uniformity and sensitivity with angle
- 4.3.9. Total performance test
- 4.4. Operational checks
- 5. CONSIDERATIONS FOR MULTIPLE HEAD SYSTEMS
- 5.1. Introduction
- 5.2. Test schedule
- 5.3. Acceptance and reference tests
- 5.3.1. Physical and mechanical tests of the multiple head system
- 5.3.2. Absolute pixel size
- 5.3.3. Tomographic uniformity of the system
- 5.3.4. Tomographic resolution in air
- 5.3.5. Tomographic resolution with scatter
- 5.3.6. Centre of rotation and alignment of axes
- 5.3.7. Slice thickness
- 5.3.8. Variations of uniformity of sensitivity with angle
- 5.3.9. Total performance test
- 5.4. Operational checks
- 6. CAMERA–COMPUTER SYSTEM
- 7. DISPLAY: HARD AND SOFT COPY
- REFERENCES
- GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS
- ABBREVIATIONS
- CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW
