NEMA NU 2-2018 evaluation and image quality optimization of a new generation digital 32-cm axial field-of-view Omni Legend PET-CT using a genetic evolutionary algorithm

Smith, Rhodri Lyn, Bartley, Lee, O’Callaghan, Christopher, Haberska, Luiza and Marshall, Chris ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2228-883X 2024. NEMA NU 2-2018 evaluation and image quality optimization of a new generation digital 32-cm axial field-of-view Omni Legend PET-CT using a genetic evolutionary algorithm. Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express 10 (2) , 025032. 10.1088/2057-1976/ad286c

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB)

Abstract

A performance evaluation was conducted on the new General Electric (GE) digital Omni Legend PET-CT system with 32 cm extended field of view. The first commercially available clinical digital bismuth germanate system. The system does not use time of flight (ToF). Testing was performed in accordance with the NEMA NU2–2018 standard. A comparison was made between two other commercial GE scanners with extended fields of view; the Discovery MI − 6 ring (ToF enabled) and the Discovery IQ (non-ToF). A genetic evolutionary algorithm was developed to optimize image reconstruction parameters from image quality assessments. The Omni demonstrated average spatial resolutions at 1 cm radial offset as 3.9 mm FWHM. The total system sensitivity at the center was 44.36 cps/kBq. The peak NECR was measured as 501 kcps at 17.8 kBq ml−1 with a 35.48% scatter fraction. The maximum count-rate error below NECR peak was 5.5%. Using standard iterative reconstructions, sphere contrast recovery coefficients were from 52.7 ± 3.2% (10 mm) to 92.5 ± 2.4% (37 mm). The PET-CT co-registration accuracy was 2.4 mm. In place of ToF, the Omni employs software corrections through a pre-trained neural network (PDL) (trained on non-ToF to ToF) that takes Bayesian penalized likelihood reconstruction (Q.Clear) images as input. The optimum parameters for image reconstruction, determined using the genetic algorithm were a Q.Clear parameter, β, of 350 and a ‘medium’ PDL setting. Using standard iterative reconstructions, the Omni initially showed increased background variability compared to the Discovery MI. With optimized PDL reconstruction parameters selected using the genetic algorithm the performance of the Omni surpassed that of the Discovery MI on all NEMA tests. The genetic algorithm’s demonstrated ability to enhance image quality in PET-CT imaging underscores the importance of algorithm driven optimization and underscores the requirement to validate its use in the clinical setting.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Type: cc-by
Publisher:	IOP Publishing
ISSN:	2057-1976
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	21 February 2024
Date of Acceptance:	12 February 2024
Last Modified:	21 Feb 2024 10:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/166420

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item