Livingstone Gillen, Rebecca;
(2025)
Partial volume correction of 99mTc oncology SPECT imaging via case specific resolution estimation.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This project aimed to develop a practical method to compensate for the detrimental effect of limited spatial resolution in Tc-99m nuclear medicine oncology imaging. Correction for limited resolution is currently not routinely applied in clinical practice, limiting quantitative accuracy. Literature review identified existing correction strategies, then assessed based on oncology-specific criteria. This found no existing method ideal for oncology. Specifically, many existing correction methods assume that resolution is invariant, which is not a valid assumption for SPECT imaging. Two methods were selected for further investigation. Key factors affecting SPECT resolution were investigated by simulating SPECT acquisition and reconstruction for simple digital phantoms. Practical experiments demonstrated that assuming invariant resolution could introduce inaccuracies in correcting for the effects of limited resolution. Case-specific resolution was estimated using the perturbation method, and subsequently incorporated into correction algorithms. This was tested using a range of datasets including simple digital phantoms and computerised anthropomorphic models - with images generated by analytical simulation. Quantitative accuracy improved for correction algorithms incorporating case-specific resolution. Realistic test datasets developed based on clinical data were used with Monte Carlo software to simulate image acquisition. Two correction algorithms, used with perturbation, were compared with a conventional correction method. Results demonstrated that the Single Target Correction (STC) method with perturbation performed as well as the conventional, Recovery Coefficient (RC), method for regional quantification, with the added advantages of producing an image and capturing heterogeneity within the object of interest. Further work in this area, including assessment of other factors which contribute to quantitative accuracy of quantitative SPECT imaging is required. The work in this thesis could potentially contribute to the practical implementation of correction for the detrimental effect of limited spatial resolution, moving towards images which can more accurately aid the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of oncology patients.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Partial volume correction of 99mTc oncology SPECT imaging via case specific resolution estimation |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. 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. |
| Keywords: | Nuclear Medicine, SPECT, oncology, quantification |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10213593 |
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