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FEATURED STORIES - NOVEMBER 2018

3-D Image-Based Dosimetry in Radionuclide Therapy

by M. Ljungberg and K. Sjögreen Gleisner
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Radionuclide therapy is the use of radioactive drugs for internal radiotherapy, mainly for the treatment of metastatic disease. As opposed to systemic cancer therapies in general, the use of radioactively labeled drugs results not only in a targeted therapy but also the possibility of imaging the distribution of the drug during therapy. From such images, the absorbed doses delivered to tumors and organs at risk can be calculated. Calculation of the absorbed dose from 3-D images such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT, and in some cases positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, relies on image-based activity quantification. Quantification is accomplished by modeling the physics involved in the image-formation process, and applying image-processing methods. From a time-sequence of such quantitative images, the absorbed doses are then calculated. Although individual-patient dosimetry is a standard component of other forms of radiotherapy, it is still overlooked in the majority of radionuclide therapies. In this review, we summarize the physical and technical problems that need to be addressed in image-based dosimetry. The focus is on SPECT, since most of the radionuclides used are single-photon emitters, although the use of PET is also discussed. Practical issues of relevance for the practical implementation of personalized dosimetry in radionuclide therapy are also highlighted. more...
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Characterization of the Detection Module of the INSERT SPECT/MRI Clinical System

by M. Occhipinti, M. Carminati, P. Busca, A.D. Butt, G.L. Montagnani, P. Trigilio, C. Piemonte, A. Ferri, A. Gola, T. Bukki, M. Czeller, Z. Nyitrai, Z. Papp, K. Nagy, and C. Fiorini
article 1 photo
Within the vast panorama of multimodal systems for clinical diagnosis, PET/MRI has been receiving significant attention. In parallel, new technological solutions have been paving the way to simultaneous SPECT/MRI systems, whose development has been so far delayed due to the challenging compatibility between MRI, gamma-ray detectors, and collimators. This paper presents an silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based Anger camera designed for preclinical and clinical SPECT static inserts for standard MR scanners. The gamma-ray detector is based on a continuous CsI(Tl) scintillator readout by arrays of SiPMs and custom ASICs. The design has been adapted to fit with the limited space conditions (23 mm thickness), but also considering mutual compatibility issues. Despite these constraints and thanks to the adoption of an iterative statistical event estimation method simply requiring a flood image, the detector maintains state-of-the-art performance in terms of intrinsic spatial resolution (1.0 mm FWHM within the usable field of view) and an energy resolution below 14% FWHM at 140 keV. The experimental studies here performed show that the camera, designed to operate at 0 °C to reduce the dark current of SiPMs, can operate up to 10 °C without significant worsening of imaging performance. more...
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A Sensor Network Architecture for Digital SiPM-Based PET Systems

by Claudio Bruschini, Chockalingam Veerappan, Francesco Gramuglia, Martijn Bijwaard, Zoltan Papp, and Edoardo Charbon
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Digital silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs) have emerged in the recent past as a viable low cost alternative to photomultiplier tubes in positron emission tomography systems, providing multiple timestamps, energy and scintillation coordinates at high spatial granularity as well as MRI compatibility. The rich but large datasets generated by digital SiPM sensors have posed a data preprocessing and acquisition challenge, at the sensor, module and system level when a multitude of such sensors are to be used. In this paper, we present a sensor network-based approach for data acquisition, scalable to multiring configurations, whereby each module acts as an autonomous sensing and computing unit, capable of determining in real time basic information for each scintillation event and communicating it to its peers. The proposed architecture is equally applicable to modules based on analog SiPMs with local digitization. Coincidence detection can then take place in the ring itself, in a deferred and distributed manner to ensure scalability and allow to fully process only the fraction of the total events which corresponds to true coincidences. Simulations and experimental results show that it is indeed possible to handle the system level challenges associated with digital SiPMs at data rates compatible with realistic configurations, including event packet transfers and real-time coincidence detection, using Gb/s serial communication links for internode communication. The downside of the proposed architecture is represented by the need, at module level, for additional connectivity and processing power. more...  
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Double-Field Hadrontherapy Treatment Monitoring With the INSIDE In-Beam PET Scanner: Proof of Concept

by Veronica Ferrero, Maria Giuseppina Bisogni, Niccolo' Camarlinghi, Elisa Fiorina, Giuseppe Giraudo, Matteo Morrocchi, Francesco Pennazio, Giancarlo Sportelli, Richard Wheadon, and Piergiorgio Cerello
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Positron emission tomography (PET) is a well established imaging technique for range monitoring in hadrontherapy. Multiple fields are standard protocol in treatments, but because of washout and residual activity background from previous irradiation plans, to this date quantitative verification of the particle range for each beam field is still an open issue. In this paper, a new method for the evaluation with a PET detector of the activity range of the second field of a treatment is discussed. Two treatment plans with two parallel-opposed beam fields, one using protons and one using carbon ions, were delivered on PMMA phantoms. In both cases, the second beam field was extracted from the first irradiation residual activity and compared with a reference image, obtained from the experimental acquisition of the second field alone. Results demonstrate good agreement between the extracted second field and the reference image, with average difference in the activity range along the preferential direction of the beam less than 0.5 mm for protons, and 1.5 mm for carbon ions. Without taking into account any preferential direction, differences within 0.5 mm were found for both cases. The method will soon be tested with nonhomogeneous phantoms and, subsequently, with in-vivo clinical data. more...
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Development of the X'tal Cube PET Detector With Segments of (0.77 mm)3

by Munetaka Nitta, Naoko Inadama, Fumihiko Nishikido, Eiji Yoshida, Hideaki Tashima, Hideyuki Kawai, and Taiga Yamaya
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The depth-of-interaction detector which can identify gamma-ray detection position along the depth direction is essential for a PET scanner to reduce parallax error. The X'tal cube we have developed is composed of a scintillation crystal block segmented into cubes. Six arrays of multipixel photon counters (MPPCs) cover six surfaces of the crystal block. We developed the new X’tal cube consisting of 0.77 mm cubic segments. A (13.1 mm)3 LYSO crystal block had 3-D segmentation in a 17×17×17 array fabricated by the laser engraving technique. 4×4 MPPC arrays with a size of (13 mm)2 were used. Active area of each MPPC was (3.0 mm)2 . To evaluate segment identification performance, we irradiated with gamma-rays from a 22 Na source and obtained a 3-D position histogram made by the 3-D Anger-type calculation with all MPPC signals. The histogram showed 17 segments in a row can be identified clearly. Further, to measure its intrinsic spatial resolution with incident angles of 0° and 45°, gamma-rays in a fan-beam were irradiated and scanned onto the X’tal cube. Spatial resolutions of 0.74 ± 0.10 mm and 0.89 ± 0.10 mm were obtained by both scan experiments, respectively. more...
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Lessons From Tesla for Plasma Medicine

by David B. Graves
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It can be argued that plasma medicine originated with Nikola Tesla in the late 19th century when he showed that one could pass large quantities of high frequency currents through a human body with no apparent damage. Tesla's work inspired much more extensive investigations over a period of several decades by numerous other researchers, on both the physics and biomedical effects of these currents. These early pioneers had a surprisingly modern view of some aspects of the therapeutic mechanisms of high frequency currents that clearly overlap with recent results. The perspective of this community was that the most important physiological effects are associated with the high frequency currents rather than the gas phase plasma per se . Some early work, such as the analgesic effects of dielectric barrier air plasma on tissue, is not well known today. The range of afflictions that early practitioners treated successfully is remarkable. This body of work, in some cases almost 130 years old, might have important lessons for current investigations into plasma medicine. Observations from Tesla and other early practitioners suggests that high frequency currents are potentially important and plasma medicine researchers should probably pay more attention to them. more...
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A PUBLICATION OF THE IEEE NUCLEAR AND PLASMA SCIENCES SOCIETY

NOVEMBER 2018  |  VOLUME 2  |  NUMBER 6  |  ITRPFI  |  (SSN 2469-7311)

REVIEW ARTICLE
3-D Image-Based Dosimetry in Radionuclide Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Ljungberg and K. S. Gleisner

IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION AND DATA PROCESSING
Denoising of Dynamic Sinogram by Image Guided Filtering for Positron Emission Tomography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F. Hashimoto, H. Ohba, K. Ote, and H. Tsukada

SCINTILLATORS AND DETECTORS
A Compact Detector Module Design Based on FlexToT ASICs for Time-of-Flight PET-MR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. M. Cela, L. Freixas, J. I. Lagares, J. Marín, G. Martínez, J. Navarrete, J. C. Oller, J. M. Pérez, P. Rato-Mendes, I. Sarasola, O. Vela,  J. M. Fernández-Varea,  D. Gascón,  S. Gómez, R. Graciani, J. Mauricio, D. Sánchez, A. Sanuy, O. de la Torre, and D. Badia
Characterization of the Detection Module of the INSERT SPECT/MRI Clinical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Occhipinti, M. Carminati, P. Busca, A. D. Butt, G. L. Montagnani,   P. Trigilio,   C. Piemonte,   A. Ferri,  A. Gola,  T. Bukki,  M. Czeller,  Z. Nyitrai,  Z. Papp,  K. Nagy, and C. Fiorini
Development of the X’tal Cube PET Detector With Segments of (0.77 mm)3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Nitta, N. Inadama, F. Nishikido, E. Yoshida, H. Tashima, H. Kawai, and T. Yamaya
A Sensor Network Architecture for Digital SiPM-Based PET Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. Bruschini, C. Veerappan, F. Gramuglia, M. Bijwaard, Z. Papp, and E. Charbon


RADIATION THERAPY
Double-Field Hadrontherapy Treatment Monitoring With the INSIDE In-Beam PET Scanner: Proof of Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . V. Ferrero, M. G. Bisogni,   N. Camarlinghi,   E. Fiorina,   G. Giraudo,   M. Morrocchi,   F. Pennazio,   G. Sportelli,   R. Wheadon, and P. Cerello


PLASMA MEDICINE
Lessons From Tesla for Plasma Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D. B. Graves
Dielectric Property Measurement of Breast—Tumor Phantom Model Under Pulsed Electric Field Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S. Poompavai and V. Gowri Sree
The Correlation Between the Cytotoxicity of Cold Atmospheric Plasma and the Extracellular H2O2-Scavenging Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D. Yan, L. Lin, J. H. Sherman, J. Canady, B. Trink, and M. Keidar
Effects of Inductance on the Pressure Produced From Exploding Aluminum Metallized Capacitor Grade Polypropylene Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D. P. Muffoletto, K. M. Burke, J. L. Zirnheld, and S. O. Olabisi

2018 INDEX

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