Guidelines for Quality Control Testing of Molecular Breast Imaging Systems

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Medical Physics
• Radiology

Background:

• Molecular breast imaging (MBI) utilizes dedicated gamma cameras for breast imaging.
• Growing MBI adoption highlights a need for specific quality control (QC) guidelines.
• Existing QC tests for conventional gamma cameras require adaptation for MBI systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide practical guidance for physics testing of MBI systems.
• To adapt existing QC procedures from conventional gamma cameras for MBI.
• To address the unique challenges posed by MBI system design.

Main Methods:

• Adapted QC tests designed for conventional gamma cameras for a dedicated MBI system.
• Modified procedures to account for pixelated detectors and limited space between dual-detector heads.
• Investigated and described necessary modifications for MBI-specific testing.

Main Results:

• MBI systems require QC testing for uniformity, spatial resolution, count sensitivity, energy resolution, and lesion contrast.
• Specific modified procedures and considerations for MBI physics testing were detailed.
• Certain conventional tests, like intrinsic uniformity and SPECT system performance, were not applicable to MBI.

Conclusions:

• Routine physics testing of MBI equipment is vital for performance verification and monitoring.
• Adapted QC procedures ensure accurate MBI system performance assessment.
• Standardized MBI testing may become a requirement for regulatory accreditation.