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Comparison of conventional and Si-photomultiplier-based PET systems for image quality and diagnostic performance

Oddstig, Jenny LU ; Leide Svegborn, Sigrid LU ; Almquist, Helen LU ; Bitzén, Ulrika LU ; Garpered, Sabine LU ; Hedeer, Fredrik LU ; Hindorf, Cecilia LU ; Jögi, Jonas LU orcid ; Jönsson, Lena LU and Minarik, David LU , et al. (2019) In BMC Medical Imaging 19(1).
Abstract

BACKGROUND: A new generation of positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT) was recently introduced using silicon (Si) photomultiplier (PM)-based technology. Our aim was to compare the image quality and diagnostic performance of a SiPM-based PET-CT (Discovery MI; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with a time-of-flight PET-CT scanner with a conventional PM detector (Gemini TF; Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH, USA), including reconstruction algorithms per vendor's recommendations. METHODS: Imaging of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association IEC body phantom and 16 patients was carried out using 1.5 min/bed for the Discovery MI PET-CT and 2 min/bed for the Gemini TF PET-CT. Images were analysed for recovery... (More)

BACKGROUND: A new generation of positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT) was recently introduced using silicon (Si) photomultiplier (PM)-based technology. Our aim was to compare the image quality and diagnostic performance of a SiPM-based PET-CT (Discovery MI; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with a time-of-flight PET-CT scanner with a conventional PM detector (Gemini TF; Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH, USA), including reconstruction algorithms per vendor's recommendations. METHODS: Imaging of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association IEC body phantom and 16 patients was carried out using 1.5 min/bed for the Discovery MI PET-CT and 2 min/bed for the Gemini TF PET-CT. Images were analysed for recovery coefficients for the phantom, signal-to-noise ratio in the liver, standardized uptake values (SUV) in lesions, number of lesions and metabolic TNM classifications in patients. RESULTS: In phantom, the correct (> 90%) activity level was measured for spheres ≥17 mm for Discovery MI, whereas the Gemini TF reached a correct measured activity level for the 37-mm sphere. In patient studies, metabolic TNM classification was worse using images obtained from the Discovery MI compared those obtained from the Gemini TF in 4 of 15 patients. A trend toward more malignant, inflammatory and unclear lesions was found using images acquired with the Discovery MI compared with the Gemini TF, but this was not statistically significant. Lesion-to-blood-pool SUV ratios were significantly higher in images from the Discovery MI compared with the Gemini TF for lesions smaller than 1 cm (p < 0.001), but this was not the case for larger lesions (p = 0.053). The signal-to-noise ratio in the liver was similar between platforms (p = 0.52). Also, shorter acquisition times were possible using the Discovery MI, with preserved signal-to-noise ratio in the liver. CONCLUSIONS: Image quality was better with Discovery MI compared to conventional Gemini TF. Although no gold standard was available, the results indicate that the new PET-CT generation will provide potentially better diagnostic performance.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Digital PET, FDG, Image quality, Oncology, PET-CT
in
BMC Medical Imaging
volume
19
issue
1
article number
81
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85073747284
  • pmid:31640584
ISSN
1471-2342
DOI
10.1186/s12880-019-0377-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
50caf0a8-65b7-437d-a07f-358cfd64b742
date added to LUP
2019-10-30 07:58:34
date last changed
2024-06-26 05:39:36
@article{50caf0a8-65b7-437d-a07f-358cfd64b742,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: A new generation of positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT) was recently introduced using silicon (Si) photomultiplier (PM)-based technology. Our aim was to compare the image quality and diagnostic performance of a SiPM-based PET-CT (Discovery MI; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with a time-of-flight PET-CT scanner with a conventional PM detector (Gemini TF; Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, OH, USA), including reconstruction algorithms per vendor's recommendations. METHODS: Imaging of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association IEC body phantom and 16 patients was carried out using 1.5 min/bed for the Discovery MI PET-CT and 2 min/bed for the Gemini TF PET-CT. Images were analysed for recovery coefficients for the phantom, signal-to-noise ratio in the liver, standardized uptake values (SUV) in lesions, number of lesions and metabolic TNM classifications in patients. RESULTS: In phantom, the correct (&gt; 90%) activity level was measured for spheres ≥17 mm for Discovery MI, whereas the Gemini TF reached a correct measured activity level for the 37-mm sphere. In patient studies, metabolic TNM classification was worse using images obtained from the Discovery MI compared those obtained from the Gemini TF in 4 of 15 patients. A trend toward more malignant, inflammatory and unclear lesions was found using images acquired with the Discovery MI compared with the Gemini TF, but this was not statistically significant. Lesion-to-blood-pool SUV ratios were significantly higher in images from the Discovery MI compared with the Gemini TF for lesions smaller than 1 cm (p &lt; 0.001), but this was not the case for larger lesions (p = 0.053). The signal-to-noise ratio in the liver was similar between platforms (p = 0.52). Also, shorter acquisition times were possible using the Discovery MI, with preserved signal-to-noise ratio in the liver. CONCLUSIONS: Image quality was better with Discovery MI compared to conventional Gemini TF. Although no gold standard was available, the results indicate that the new PET-CT generation will provide potentially better diagnostic performance.</p>}},
  author       = {{Oddstig, Jenny and Leide Svegborn, Sigrid and Almquist, Helen and Bitzén, Ulrika and Garpered, Sabine and Hedeer, Fredrik and Hindorf, Cecilia and Jögi, Jonas and Jönsson, Lena and Minarik, David and Petersson, Richard and Welinder, Annika and Wollmer, Per and Trägårdh, Elin}},
  issn         = {{1471-2342}},
  keywords     = {{Digital PET; FDG; Image quality; Oncology; PET-CT}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Medical Imaging}},
  title        = {{Comparison of conventional and Si-photomultiplier-based PET systems for image quality and diagnostic performance}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12880-019-0377-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12880-019-0377-6}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}