Quantitation of SPECT performance: Report of Task Group 4, Nuclear Medicine Committee

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging Physics
• Nuclear Medicine Technology

Background:

• High-quality single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging necessitates comprehensive performance testing.
• Existing protocols are often complex, time-consuming, and require specialized environments.

Framework:

• A new protocol was developed for evaluating SPECT imaging systems.
• The protocol is simple, practical, and requires minimal test equipment.
• It utilizes readily available processing software on nuclear medicine computers.

Implementation:

• The protocol assesses rotational stability, uniformity, sensitivity, tomographic spatial resolution, contrast, and attenuation correction accuracy.
• Testing can be completed in under three hours.
• Required materials include a Co-57 flood source, a line source, and a tomographic cylindrical phantom.

Implications:

• The protocol was validated across 42 cameras from seven vendors, demonstrating broad applicability.
• Results established acceptable parameter ranges, showing minimal vendor variation.
• This standardized protocol enables efficient and reliable SPECT system performance evaluation.