High quality PC-based Nuclear Medicine image acquisition system

We developed an image Acquisition Systems (IAS) for Anger camera that uses a general-purpose workstation and high quality interface to the appropriate sensors. This IAS comprises intuitive and easy to use interface, and real-time visual monitoring during the image generation. The IAS supports DICOM standards, allows open integration to wider Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and Hospital information Systems (HIS). The IAS consists of off-the-shelf PC computer with high quality analog to digital card, and state of the art software with two modules: 1) module for data acquisition and image generation capable in generating static, dynamic and gated studies; and 2) module for image reviewing and exporting in desired formats. Both modules comprise interface to the electronic patient record. The prototype IAS was evaluated in the Nuclear Medicine Institute of the Clinical Centre of Serbia in Belgrade. Evaluation proved that overall system's linearity and spatial resolution fulfil CEN standards for clinical use of Anger camera. Blinded clinical evaluation compared 159 static and dynamic studies simultaneously made by the new IAS and the conventional Siemens system that was originally supplied with the camera. Results show that the new IAS was diagnostically more efficient in 91 percent of analysed studies compared with the conventional system. The novel IAS facilitates diagnostics and greatly improves the performance to cost ratio; thereby, it is well suited for the Serbian health care system being under reorganization and development.