AbstractID: 8014 Title: Simplified Determination of SPECT Reconstructed Spatial
Resolution
Optimum SPECT performance depends on multiple system parameters. Acceptance testing of the individual parameters can be
extremely time consuming and economically prohibitive. Many of the parameters are related and an intelligent choice of tests can
often result in a very effective measurement of performance at a reasonable cost. Reconstructed spatial resolution is defined by
NEMA (NU-1-2000) and is certainly an important parameter that is directly affected by a number of machine parameters and in turn
affects clinical results. This test, as described by NEMA, measures the 3D resolution of the system using 3 point sources in a
prescribed arrangement. The test of reconstructed spatial resolution is often not performed, however. This is primarily because
analysis can be tedious and time consuming and requires certain tools not consistently supplied on nuclear medicine computers. To
simplify the data processing we have developed techniques for both visual assessment and quantitative measurement of 3D spatial
resolution using the public domain software ImageJ (http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/), an extensible image processing and analysis program
written entirely in Java. Extension of ImageJ processing capability is via plugins. We have developed plugins to calculate the
selective linogram (Wallis J Nucl Cardiol 2:303-8, 1995), and to process the 3D response function associated with the 3 point sources
employed in the SPECT acquisition. ImageJ supports many image formats including RAW, Interfile and DICOM which covers all
current cameras vendors. This successful use of ImageJ should lead to more plugins to simplify the tedium of other camera
acceptance tests.