Technical note: adapting a GE SIGNA PET/MR scanner for radiotherapy Show others and affiliations
2018 (English) In: Medical physics (Lancaster), ISSN 0094-2405, Vol. 45, no 8, p. 3546-3550Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Purpose: Simultaneous collection of PET and MR data for radiotherapy purposes are useful for, for example, target definition and dose escalations. However, a prerequisite for using PET/MR in the radiotherapy workflow is the ability to image the patient in treatment position. The aim of this work was to adapt a GE SIGNA PET/MR scanner to image patients for radiotherapy treatment planning and evaluate the impact on signal-to-noise (SNR) of the MR images, and the accuracy of the PET attenuation correction. Method: A flat tabletop and a coil holder were developed to image patients in the treatment position, avoid patient contour deformation, and facilitate attenuation correction of flex coils. Attenuation corrections for the developed hardware and an anterior array flex coil were also measured and implemented to the PET/MR system to minimize PET quantitation errors. The reduction of SNR in the MR images due to the added distance between the coils and the patient was evaluated using a large homogenous saline-doped water phantom, and the activity quantitation errors in PET imaging were evaluated with and without the developed attenuation corrections. Result: We showed that the activity quantitation errors in PET imaging were within ±5% when correcting for attenuation of the flat tabletop, coil holder, and flex coil. The SNR of the MRI images were reduced to 74% using the tabletop, and 66% using the tabletop and coil holders. Conclusion: We present a tabletop and coil holder for an anterior array coil to be used with a GE SIGNA PET/MR scanner, for scanning patients in the radiotherapy work flow. Implementing attenuation correction of the added hardware from the radiotherapy setup leads to acceptable PET image quantitation. The drop in SNR in MR images may require adjustment of the imaging protocols.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc., 2018. Vol. 45, no 8, p. 3546-3550
Keywords [en]
MRI, PET, PET, MR, quality assurance, radiotherapy
National Category
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-151405 DOI: 10.1002/mp.13032 ISI: 000441292000009 PubMedID: 29862522 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85051438748 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-151405 DiVA, id: diva2:1244851
Funder Vinnova 2018-09-032018-09-032024-07-02 Bibliographically approved