A software tool for stitching two PET/CT body segments into a single whole-body image set

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Software Development

Background:

• Whole-body PET/CT scans are crucial for disease staging and monitoring.
• Limited bed travel on some PET/CT scanners necessitates acquiring scans in segments.
• Stitching segmented scans poses challenges for image interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a software tool for stitching two-segment whole-body PET/CT scans into a single, interpretable image set.
• To address limitations in PET/CT scanner bed travel.
• To improve the workflow for whole-body PET/CT interpretation.

Main Methods:

• A mathematical model was developed to align two PET/CT segments using three radio-opaque landmarks.
• A software tool was created to implement the model, correct for radioactive decay, and output a single DICOM image set.
• Phantom and six patient studies were conducted to evaluate the software's performance.

Main Results:

• The software successfully stitched two-segment PET/CT scans from phantom and patient studies.
• Generated whole-body DICOM images exhibited correct alignment and consistent radiotracer uptake.
• The resulting DICOM image sets were compatible with independent workstations from different manufacturers.

Conclusions:

• The developed software tool effectively stitches segmented whole-body PET/CT scans with minimal user interaction.
• This facilitates the interpretation of whole-body PET/CT scans on systems with limited bed travel.
• The tool enhances the utility of PET/CT imaging for various clinical applications.