Premium
Sci‐AM1 Sat ‐ 04: Gamma‐camera verification of breast brachytherapy seed distributions
Author(s) -
Ravi A,
Caldwell C,
Keller B,
Reznik A,
Beachey D,
Pignol J
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.2031045
Subject(s) - gamma camera , imaging phantom , brachytherapy , monte carlo method , cadmium zinc telluride , collimator , physics , nuclear medicine , radius , optics , detector , materials science , mathematics , computer science , medicine , radiation therapy , radiology , statistics , computer security
Objective: To assess whether a proposed SPECT device could resolve implanted breast brachytherapy seeds within an acceptable imaging time for correction of misplaced seeds. Method: Monte Carlo simulations of a cadmium zinc telluride crystal‐based gamma camera were used to assess whether the detection of 22 keV photons emitted from103 Pd seeds was feasible. A 5×5 cm detector, fitted with a hexagonal parallel hole collimator (hole length 38 mm, diameter 1.2 mm, septa 0.2 mm) was modeled. Projections were taken every 7.5 degrees, with a radius of rotation of 10 cm, and images reconstructed using an OSEM algorithm. The phantom modeled consisted of an 8 cm diameter sphere of breast tissue containing a central, 1 cm cubic distribution of 8 seeds, which were each 5 mm long and 0.8 mm wide titanium tubes with an inner radius of 0.32 mm. Results: An acquisition duration of 24 seconds yielded images with a FWHM of 6.0 mm and a scatter fraction of 8.2%. The error between the center of mass of the reconstructed image and the physical seed location was 0.81 ± 0.16 mm, when the phantom was imaged for 24 seconds. Conclusion: The online gamma‐camera approach to imaging the103 Pd seeds is feasible for a simple seed distribution. The high contrast between the seeds and the non‐radioactive background allow a practical acquisition time of a minute or less. Additional simulations will be required to assess the system design for more realistic seed distributions in a geometry more closely modeling a patient.