A basic study on a helmet-chin PET scanner enabling high sensitivity functional brain measurement

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26870864
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering; Medical Physics and Radiological Technology
• Research Institution: National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Tashima Hideaki 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 放射線医学総合研究所 計測・線量評価部, 研究員(任常) (70572907)
• Research Collaborator: YAYAMA Taiga 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 放射線医学総合研究所・計測・線量評価部, チームリーダー ; YOSHIDA Eiji 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 放射線医学総合研究所・計測・線量評価部, 主幹研究員 ; IWAO Yuma 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 放射線医学総合研究所・計測・線量評価部, 博士研究員 ; WAKIZAKA Hidekatsu 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 放射線医学総合研究所・計測・線量評価部, 技術員
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: PET / 脳PET / 医用診断機器 / 認知症診断 / ヘルメットPET / 陽電子放出断層撮像法 / 検出器ジオメトリ / 脳機能計測

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project proposed the helmet-shaped PET scanner in which detectors are arranged in a hemispherical way and an add-on detector is placed at chin position so that the sensitivity for the functional brain measurement can be significantly improved. The detector block size for the helmet-chin PET was optimized by a simulation study including unavoidable dead spaces between the detector blocks, and the block size of 5 cm square was found to maximize the sensitivity for the brain region. In addition, an image reconstruction method for the helmet-chin PET was developed, and it was applied to a world’s first helmet-chin PET prototype system. Experimental performance evaluation showed that the system has high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. In conclusion, the proposed system has promising performance for high sensitivity and accurate brain imaging.

Free Research Field

医用生体工学