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No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Development and performance of a sparsity-exploiting algorithm for few-view single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) reconstruction

A novel MRI method, DIFRAD-FSE (D̲i̲f̲fusion with R̲adial A̲cquisition of D̲ata with F̲ast S̲pin-E̲cho) is presented that enables rapid, high-resolution, multi-shot diffusion-weighted MRI without significant artifacts due to motion. Following a diffusion-weighted spin-echo preparation, multiple radial lines of Fourier data are acquired using spin-echo refocusing. Data can be acquired in either 2D or 3D Fourier space. Motion correction is accomplished via one of four correction techniques: phase correction, shift correction, a combination of the phase and shift correction, or magnitude. Images from a radial data set are reconstructed with filtered back projection reconstruction. Results from human brain imaging will demonstrate the ability of DIFRAD-FSE to acquire high-resolution images without significant artifacts due to motion in both 2D and 3D. Results from liver and heart imaging demonstrate the versatility of the 2D DIFRAD-FSE.

Over the last few years there has been a great demand for noninvasive, dedicated, small-animal imaging systems for biomedical research applications. In this dissertation we will discuss the development and performance of two gamma-ray systems and a dual modality CT/SPECT system. Initially we introduce FASTSPECT, a stationary, scintillator-based, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system that was originally built as a brain imager. We discuss its transformation into a small-animal imaging system and validate its performance by presenting high-resolution images of phantoms and animals. Furthermore, we discuss the development of an in vivo imaging protocol for rat myocardial models using FASTSPECT. The infarct size obtained from the images is quantified and compared with the myocardial infarct size measured from histology. Semiconductor detectors can exhibit good spatial and energy resolution, and therefore offer a promising alternative to scintillation technology. We discuss the performance of a semiconductor detector system, previously developed in our group, for planar and tomographic imaging of small animals. The same gamma-ray detector is used in a dual modality system for imaging mice. The system combines an anatomical imaging modality, x-ray CT, with a functional modality, SPECT. We present the development of the CT/SPECT system and illustrate its performance by presenting high-resolution images of phantoms and mice. Finally, we introduce a procedure for evaluating estimation methods without the use of a gold standard.

A study is performed to assess the utility of a computer numerically controlled (CNC) mill to produce missing tissue compensating filters and for the delivery of intensity-modulated beams for inverse treatment planning. A computer aided machining (CAM) software is used to assist in the design and construction of such filters. Geometric measurements of stepped and wedged surfaces are made to examine the accuracy of surface milling. Results show that the deviation of the filter surfaces from design does not exceed 1.5%. Effective attenuation coefficients are measured for CadFree and Cerrobend in a 6 MV photon beam. The ability of the CNC mill to accurately produce surfaces is further verified with dose profile measurements in a 6 MV photon beam. Dose profiles, measured beneath the test phantoms and beneath a flat phantom are compared to those produced by a commercial treatment planning system. Agreement between measured and predicted profiles is within 2%, indicating the viability of the system for filter production.

The dosimetric characteristics of a standard Varian 52-leaf multileaf collimator (MLC) and BrainLAB m3 micro-multileaf collimator (micro-MLC) have been investigated for square, rectangular, and irregular fields for 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams provided by a Varian Clinac 2300 C/D linear accelerator (linac). The percentage depth dose data and the conventional collimator factor are unaffected by the addition of MLC or micro-MLC shaped field unless, in the latter case, the tertiary field is much less than the jaw setting. However, relative dose factors for a given MLC or micro-MLC field size depend on the jaw setting. The penumbra is generally sharpest for fields defined by the micro-MLC and the least sharp for fields defined by the MLC. Average transmission values were found to be between 1.5% and 2.5%. Comparison and evaluation of two treatments, one delivered using the MLC and the other using the micro-MLC, for the same radiosurgical target volume are described.