This section provides a step-by-step description of the steps required for acquiring and processing jaszczak(tm) phantom data. Terms of acquiring are defined in relevant ACR documentation, which is delivered with the accreditation programs. The terms of processing are supplied with the aim of achieving optimal Tomo images.
This section provides a step-by-step description of the steps required for acquiring and processing jaszczak(tm) phantom data. Terms of acquiring are defined in relevant ACR documentation, which is delivered with the accreditation programs. The terms of processing are supplied with the aim of achieving optimal Tomo images.
This section provides a step-by-step description of the steps required for acquiring and processing jaszczak(tm) phantom data. Terms of acquiring are defined in relevant ACR documentation, which is delivered with the accreditation programs. The terms of processing are supplied with the aim of achieving optimal Tomo images.
This section provides a step-by-step description of the steps required for acquiring and processing jaszczak(tm) phantom data. Terms of acquiring are defined in relevant ACR documentation, which is delivered with the accreditation programs. The terms of processing are supplied with the aim of achieving optimal Tomo images.
Appendix G Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Overview This section provides a step-by-step description of the steps required for acquiring Tomo images of the Jaszczak Phantom. The following two procedures are described:
Jaszczak Phantom acquisition and processing for ACR accreditation of Infinia cameras The terms of acquiring and processing are defined in relevant ACR documentation, which is delivered with the accreditation programs. This document is complementary to ACR accreditation instructions and focuses on optimizing the acquisition and reconstruction parameters specific to the Infinia systems. Jaszczak Phantom acquisition for a general test of the systems Tomo capabilities Acquisition and processing parameters are supplied with the aim of achieving optimal Tomo images. Note The Jaszczak "Deluxe" phantom is the ACR approved phantom for evaluating Tomo images quality. If only a Jaszczak "Standard" phantom is available, it may be used instead. G2 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Overview Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Phantom Description Phantom Description Both the Deluxe and the Standard phantoms are Acrylic cylinders with protruding flanged tops and a wall thickness of 3.2 mm. The internal diameter of the cylinders is 21.6 cm and the internal height is 18.6 cm. (see Figure G-1 and Figure G-2). Figure G-1 Components of Deluxe Jaszczak Phantom Figure G-2 ACR Approved Phantom Assembly Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G3 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data System Preparation
The phantoms include six sets of cold rods, and six cold spheres of different diameters, as shown in Figure G-3. The rods and spheres diameters are specified in Table G-1. System Preparation Before acquiring the images, verify that the system is in an optimal state. In particular, verify the following: A high statistics uniformity map acquired for both detectors with the relevant collimators (according to the radio-isotope used). The statistics suggested for the maps is at least 120 Mcts per Head (256x 256 matrix). Perform the C.O.R. calibration procedure for the relevant collimators. Record the calibration data for further reporting. Perform a Uniformity test. Verify that all the uniformity parameters are within tolerance range. Record test results for further reporting. Figure G-3 Phantom Inserts Table G-1 Phantoms Insert Dimensions Phantom Type Rod/Sphere mm mm mm mm mm mm ACR approved (Jaszczak Deluxe) Rods diameter 4.8 6.4 7.9 9.5 11.1 12.7 Spheres diameter 9.5 12.7 15.9 19.1 25.4 31.8 Jaszczak Standard Phantom Rods diameter 6.4 7.9 9.5 11.1 12.7 15.1 Spheres diameter 12.7 15.9 19.1 25.4 31.8 38.1 G4 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Phantom Adjustment Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data For more information regarding the procedures described above, contact your local GE representative. Phantom Adjustment 1. Fill the Jaszczak phantom with distilled water, leaving a volume of about 10 ml of air. 2. With the table retracted to maximum OUT position, place the phantom on its side (along the primary patient axis) on a holder protruding from the edge of the table. Pay attention to the following guidelines: Position the phantom so that the largest "cold" sphere is placed at the bottom of the phantom, closest to the pallet. Phantom should be parallel to the axis-of-rotation in both dimensions (side-to-side and horizontally). The phantoms flange should be perpendicular to the gantry axis of rotation. The cylinder axis should be close to the gantry axis-of-rotation so that the distance from the face of the collimators to the phantom does not change during rotation. This adjustment is best performed by setting the Gantry to 90 in H-mode and position the detectors close to the phantom (RADIAL IN). Make sure that the sides of the phantom are parallel to the collimators. A ruler may be used to measure the distance between the phantom and the detectors to improve the accuracy of phantoms positioning. The phantom should be located between the detectors so that its entire body will be screened. Use the black lines delineating the detectors Field Of View on the collimators face as a reference. Figure G-4 Jaszczak Phantom Position on the Pallet Patient Table Available Tooling Jaszczak Phantom Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G5 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Gantry Setup
Gantry Setup 1. Set the radius of rotation as follows: For ACR accreditation: set the radius of rotation to 20 cm for both detectors For optimal images: set the radius of rotation as close as possible. 2. Measure the distance between Detector 1 and the phantom at two rotation angles: 0 and 180. The two distances should be equal. If not, correct the phantom positioning (modifying table height may be required). After Detector 1 is properly positioned, adjust the position of Detector 2. 3. Carefully rotate the detectors to make sure that no collision occurs between the phantom or stretcher. In case of collision, attempt to slightly move the phantom (left or right) or to move the pallet (up or down) in order to position the phantom symmetrically between the detectors. If necessary, enlarge the radiuses by a few millimeters (while keeping them equal to each other). Repeat the operation several times until optimal positioning of the phantom/stretcher and the detectors is achieved. 4. When all adjustments are complete, position the gantry at a 90 rotation angle and carefully remove the phantom, so that it will be possible to reposition the phantom in the exact same position. G6 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Jaszczak Phantom Preparation Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data SPECT Acquisition Using Tc99m With LEHR collimators Jaszczak Phantom Preparation SPECT Acquisition Using Tc99m With LEHR Collimators To calculate the activity needed, bear in mind that due to the phantom absorption, the output is about 40% of the inserted Tc99 m activity. Count rate should not exceed 30 kc/s. 1. Inject into the phantom Tc99 m with an activity (A) of approximately: Where S is the sensitivity of the Collimator in cpm/Ci. The best technique is to measure the activity with a Dosimeter. If this is not available, then: a. Fill the syringe with an amount of Tc99m that will yield a rate of ~30 kc/s in both detectors. b. Inject 2.5 times this amount of Tc99m into the phantom. The activity for the LEHR Collimator should be 10-20 mCi. When injecting liquid into the phantom, a few millimeters of air should be left in the phantom. 2. After injecting the isotope into the phantom, close the phantom and mix the liquid inside as follows: a. Hold the phantom with the filling cover facing up. b. Turn the phantom over so that cover is at the bottom and wait for the bubbles to rise. c. Turn the phantom back to its original position and wait again for the bubbles to rise. d. Repeat the process for about one minute. 3. Place the phantom carefully in its position towards the gantry. Rotate the gantry a full rotation, ensuring that the collimators do not come in contact with the phantom. A = 15kc/s S*1/60 (kc/s)/mCi * 1 0.4 = 2250 S [mCi] Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G7 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Tomo Image Acquisition SPECT Acquisition Using Other Radioisotopes and Collimators SPECT Acquisition Using Other Radioisotopes and Collimators Since the ACR applicant may also be requested to submit either Tl201 or Ga67 images (in addition to Tc99m), it is recommended first to fill the phantom with Tc99m solution, perform the images requested, remove the solution, clean the phantom, leave the residual Tc-99m to decay about 12 hours and then to fill the phantom with Tl-201 or Ga-67 solution. Recommended amounts of the sources activity are represented in Table G-2. Tomo Image Acquisition 1. Open the To Do List. 2. Select the [New Study...] button to schedule a new Tomo study. 3. Fill in test details. 4. Press [Select Study Protocol...]. From the Factory\Basic folder, select Tomo. 5. Calculate the required time per view using the average count rate displayed during persistence mode, after pressing [Apply], according to the following: For ACR accreditation: time per projection [sec] = 200/average count rate. For Optimal images: time per projection [sec] = at least 1000/average count rate. Table G-2 Recommended Sources Activities Activity, mCi Collimator Tc99m Tl201 Ga67 LEGP 7 - 10 5 8 LEHR 10- 20 12 - 15 MEGP 8 - 12 G8 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Tomo Image Acquisition Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data 6. In the Tomo Key Parameters panel, select/verify the following parameters: 7. Click [Correction Parameters] to go to the Corrections Panel. Verify the following: 8. Start Acquisition using the RCU <GO/PAUSE> key. Table G-3: Tomo Key Parameters Rotation (total angular range) 360 (180 per detector) View angle 3 (view #: 120) Stop on time per projection See Step 5 above Zoom 1.33 Y offset Update if required, to get the phantom in the center of the frame Matrix 128 x 128 Table G-4: Tomo Correction Parameters Use corrections: Body Contour Off and COR On Isotope: Tc99m Collimator LEHR Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G9 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data SPECT Reconstruction
SPECT Reconstruction The procedure below describes the necessary steps for data reconstruction on Xeleris 2.x workstations. The figures below illustrate a step-by-step procedure of reconstructing and processing of SPECT images of a Jaszczak phantom. 1. Select the Jaszczak Planar projection from the Xeleris Data Management panel. 2. From the applications list, launch the General SPECT application. 3. When reconstruction is completed and the resulting images are displayed (see Figure G-5), select [SPECT Options] from the menu in the left side of the screen. Figure G-5 General SPECT Reconstruction Images G10 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide SPECT Reconstruction Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data 4. From the opened Filtering and Attenuation parameters (see Figure G-6) select the following parameters:. 5. Click the [Proceed] button; to save the setup, open File menu and select Save and Exit. Area Parameter Name Recommended Parameter FILTERS Pre-Filter type For ACR accreditation: Hann, Critical frequency of 1.56/cm. For Optimal Images: select the reconstruction filter that will produce best results or use the same parameters as for ACR accreditation CORRECTIONS OPTIONS Attenuation Correction Change order 0 Threshold Adjust until an optimal attenuation correction is achieved. Resulting transaxial projection should appear uniform, without "hot" central spots and/or edges. Typical values: Threshold = 5, coefficient = 0.12. Coefficient Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G11 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data SPECT Reconstruction
Figure G-6 Reconstruction Filter Selection (Hann 1.56 filter with attenuation correction threshold = 5 and coefficient = 0.125 shown) G12 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Analysis Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis The procedure below describes the necessary steps required for analyzing and processing the acquired images. 1. From the Xeleris database list, select saved Results Series\TRANSAXIAL group and launch Load to New. 2. Arrange the screen as shown in Figure G-7, so that all slices from the cold rods region of the phantom are represented on the upper sub-screen. 3. Select from the 16 slices from the central part of the cold rod section, which look similar. Record the first and last numbers of selected slices. Figure G-7 Screen Arrangement for Resolution Analysis Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G13 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis
4. Sum selected slices using Image Reframe Composite option. The output image represents a 5 cm (not pixel) thick section and is used to evaluate tomographic spatial resolution. See Figure G-8 5. Adjust windowing levels for optimal visualization of the rods on the composed image. For typical results obtained using the ACR accreditation guidelines, see Figure G-9. For typical results obtained using the Optimal images guidelines, see Figure G-10. Figure G-8 Phantom Image Analysis G14 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Analysis Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Figure G-9 Typical Resolution Image Obtained Using ACR Accreditation Guidelines Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G15 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis
Figure G-10 Typical Resolution Image obtained using Optimal Image Guidelines G16 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Analysis Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data The image in Figure G-9 was obtained using the following acquisition parameters: The image in Figure G-10 was obtained using the following acquisition parameters: 6. Select the resulting image. From the File menu select Save. Name the image RESOLUTION when prompted and save it. Table G-5: Acquisition Parameters Isotope: Tc99m Collimator LEHR Rotation (total angular range) 360 (180 per detector) View angle 3 (view #: 120) Detector radius 20.0 Average rate during persistence ~7 kcts/sec Injected activity ~15 mCi Tc99m Stop on time per projection 29 sec Zoom 1.33 Reconstruction filter Metz 1.56 Attenuation correction Change order 0, threshold: 5, coefficient 0.125 # of summed slices 16 Table G-6: Acquisition Parameters Isotope: Tc99m Collimator LEHR Rotation (total angular range) 360 (180 per detector) View angle 3 (view #: 120) Detector radius 16.4 Average rate during persistence ~6 kcts/sec Injected activity ~13 mCi Tc99m Stop on time per projection 167 sec/projection Zoom 1.33 Reconstruction filter Metz 1.56 Attenuation correction Change order 0, threshold: 5, coefficient 0.125 # of summed slices 16 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G17 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis
7. Arrange the screen as shown in Figure G-7, but so that slices from the center of region with a uniform solution (without spheres or rods) are represented on the upper sub-screen. 8. Select up to 6 slices, which look similar. Record the first and last numbers of the selected slices. 9. Sum selected slices using Image Reframe Composite option (see Figure G-11). The output image represent a ~2 cm (not pixel) thick section, that is used to evaluate uniformity. 10. Optimize the windowing levels of the composed image. Figure G-11 Composed UNIFORMITY Image ACR accreditation Guidelines G18 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Analysis Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data 11. Select the resulting image. From the File menu select Save, name the image UNIFORMITY when prompted and save it. 12. Arrange the screen as it is shown in Figure G-7, such that slices that contain the spheres are represented on the upper sub-screen. 13. Select from uniform region 2 slices, which look similar. Record the first and last numbers of selected slices for further reporting. 14. Sum selected slices using Image Reframe Composite option (see Figure G-12). The output image represents the image with highest contrast, that is used to evaluate image contrast. Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G19 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis
. 15. Optimize the windowing levels of the composed image. Figure G-12 Composed CONTRAST Image - ACR Accreditation Guidelines G20 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Analysis Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data 16. Verify that it is possible to position a horizontal line across the image (passing through its center) so that it does not touch any of the "cold" spheres. If needed, rotate the image a little using the Orientation option from the Image menu, as shown in Figure G-13. Use the scroll-bar marked on the illustration by red arrows. 17. Select the resulting image. From the File menu select Save, name the image as CONTRAST when prompted, and save it. Close Workspace. 18. Re-open saved CONTRAST image and arrange 2x2 screen format. Figure G-13 Rotation of image for CONTRAST Image Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G21 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis
19. From the Curve menu, select Profile option. 20. Set profile parameters as shown in Table G-7 21. Estimate and record the average counts number inside the phantom on the profile data. 22. Close the option by clicking the [Apply & Quit] button. Table G-7 Profile Parameters Input window A Output window B Thickness (pixels) 1 Using Position (pixels) scroll-bar Place the profile line across the center of the CONTRAST image without intersecting any sphere. The profile line should extend well outside the phantom on both sides G22 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Analysis Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Figure G-14 Profile Parameters Setting Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G23 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis
23. Re-open the Profile option. Set profile parameters as shown in Table G-8: Table G-8 Profile Option Input window A Output window C Thickness (pixels) 1 Using Position (pixels) scroll-bar Place the profile line so that it crosses the center of biggest "cold" sphere. Estimate and record the minimum number of counts in the profile within the phantom. G24 Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Analysis Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Figure 12: 24. Calculate the contrast as: Contrast = (Average_Cnts - Minimum_Cnts)/Average_Counts Record calculated contrast value for further reporting. Figure G-15 Contrast Measurements Direction 5195795-100, Rev. 1, Copyright 2006 by GE Healthcare G25 Infinia + Hawkeye 4 Users Guide Acquiring & Processing Jaszczak Phantom Data Analysis
25. Repeat steps 1 -24 for the SPECT data obtained with the Jaszczak phantom filled with Tl201 or Ga67.