Adaptive segmented attenuation correction for whole-body PET imaging

Adaptive segmented attenuation correction using the local thresholding technique (adaptive LTS) has been developed for whole body PET imaging using short (2-3 minutes), post-injection transmission scans. Optimal threshold is derived at every scan position to provide appropriate segmentation on the transmission images, which are forward-projected into the attenuation sinograms. The entire computation of the new attenuation sinograms of a single bed position (47 slices) on ECAT EXACT takes as little as 6 minutes. So far, the technique has found been very successful in 30 /sup 18/FDG whole-body oncologic studies without user interaction. The resulting emission data quantitatively matches and qualitatively surpasses those using the standard method. This method can increase scanner throughput without sacrificing the quality and accuracy of whole-body imaging.<
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