@phdthesis{discovery10185274,
          school = {UCL (University College London)},
            note = {Copyright {\copyright} The Author 2024.  Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).  Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms.  Access may initially be restricted at the author's request.},
            year = {2024},
           title = {Technical Evaluation of the World's First Simultaneous Clinical SPECT-MRI Imaging System},
           month = {January},
          author = {Morahan, Ashley James},
        abstract = {This thesis outlines the analysis and evolution of a SPECT insert system designed
for simultaneous use within a clinical MRI. The INSERT (INtegrated SPECT/MRI
for Enhanced stratification of brain tumours in Radio-chemoTherapy) is the world's
first clinical SPECT-MRI brain imaging system based on scintillation detectors with
a SiPM readout. This work demonstrates its use as a stand-alone SPECT scanner
and a simultaneous SPECT-MRI. The use of a clinical SPECT-MRI is carried out
here for the first time. The development of this novel technology is outlined, and its
applications were investigated to establish the first-in-man study. The stand-alone
SPECT scanner is evaluated, and its limitations are addressed through phantom
studies in which techniques such as statistical image reconstruction, Monte Carlo
simulations, and deep learning are deployed to solve issues with the SPECT design
and performance. The system is used within a clinical environment and compared to
established SPECT scanners to evaluate its feasibility as a clinical scanner. Finally,
the INSERT is installed within an MRI and evaluated as a simultaneous clinical system. Hardware upgrades and development of specialised MRI imaging sequences
allowed both systems to operate in unison. This body of work establishes the possibility of a simultaneous clinical SPECT-MRI. It looks to develop the technology
further through patient trials and continued improvements of the clinical system.},
             url = {https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10185274/}
}