Evaluation of a new multipurpose whole-body CzT-based camera: comparison with a dual-head Anger camera and first clinical images

Background Evaluate the physical performance of the VERITON CzT camera (Spectrum Dynamics, Caesarea, Israel) that benefits from new detection architecture enabling whole-body imaging compared to that of a conventional dual-head Anger camera. Methods Different line sources and phantom measurements were performed on each system to evaluate spatial resolution, sensitivity, energy resolution and image quality with acquisition and reconstruction parameters similar to those used in clinical routine. Extrinsic resolution was assessed using Tc-99m capillary sources placed successively in air, in a head and in a body phantom filled with background activity. Spectral acquisitions for various radioelements used in nuclear medicine (Tc-99m, I-123, Tl-201, In-111) were performed to evaluate energy resolution by computing the FWHM of the measured photoelectric peak. Tomographic sensitivity was calculated by recording the total number of counts detected during tomographic acquisition for a set of source geometries representative of different clinical situations. Sensitivity was also evaluated in focus mode for the CzT camera, which consisted of forcing detectors to collect data in a reduced field-of-view. Image quality was assessed with a Jaszczak phantom filled with 350 MBq of Tc-99m and scanned on each system with 30-,20-,10- and 5-min acquisition times. Results Extrinsic and tomographic resolution in the brain and body phantoms at the centre of the FOV was estimated at 3.55, 7.72 and 6.66 mm for the CzT system and 2.47, 7.75 and 7.72 mm for the conventional system, respectively. The energy resolution measured at 140 keV was 5.46% versus 9.21% for the Anger camera and was higher in a same manner for all energy peaks tested. Tomographic sensitivity for a point source in air was estimated at 236 counts center dot s(-1)center dot MBq(-1) and increased to 1159 counts center dot s(-1)center dot MBq(-1) using focus mode, which was 1.6 times and 8 times greater than the sensitivity measured on the scintillation camera (144 counts center dot s(-1)center dot MBq(-1)). Head and body measurements also showed higher sensitivity for the CzT camera in particular with focus mode. The Jaszczak phantom showed high image contrast uniformity and a high signal-to-noise ratio on the CzT system, even when decreasing acquisition time by 6-fold. Representative clinical cases are shown to illustrate these results. Conclusion The CzT camera has a superior sensitivity, higher energy resolution and better image contrast than the conventional SPECT camera, whereas spatial resolution remains similar. Introduction of this new technology may change current practices in nuclear medicine such as decreasing acquisition time and activity injected to patient.