Verification of phantom accuracy using a Monte Carlo simulation: bone scintigraphy chest phantom

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Medical Imaging
• Computational Phantoms

Background:

• Bone scintigraphy is crucial for detecting bone tumors and assessing bone health.
• Accurate simulation data is essential for validating imaging protocols and phantom studies.
• Technetium-99m (99mTc) is a common radiotracer used in bone scintigraphy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare measurement and simulation data of bone scintigraphy using a chest phantom.
• To verify the accuracy of Monte Carlo simulation for nuclear medicine applications.
• To assess the utility of simulation in validating imaging data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a SIM2 bone phantom with varying concentrations of 99mTc for tumor and normal bone simulation.
• Acquired projection data using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
• Constructed simulated projection data based on CT scans and performed quantitative analysis (contrast ratio, RC, %CV, PSD).

Main Results:

• Contrast ratio and recovery coefficient (RC) were consistent between actual and simulated data.
• Higher % coefficient variation (%CV) was observed in soft tissue compared to normal bone.
• Power spectrum density (PSD) showed equality across all frequency bands, indicating simulation fidelity.

Conclusions:

• Monte Carlo simulation is a valuable tool for verifying bone scintigraphy data.
• The simulation accurately reproduced key quantitative parameters, confirming its reliability.
• This approach enhances the validation of imaging techniques and phantom studies in nuclear medicine.