Dual-detector probe for surgical tumor staging.
A hand-held, dual-detector probe has been developed for surgical tumor staging. This dual probe simultaneously monitors counts from a possible tumor site along with counts from adjacent normal tissue using two concentric, collimated scintillation detectors. A comparison of counts from the detectors can distinguish a small tumor directly in front of the probe from variations in background activity. The probe was tested in computer simulations of surgical staging of metastases to para-aortic and iliac lymph nodes using a spatial response map of the probe, a numerical torso phantom, and organ activity data for [57Co]bleomycin in rabbits. Results show that the dual probe performs better than a single-detector probe in detecting tumors and solves the problem caused by spatial variations in the background source distribution.
Hickernell
T S
TS
Optical Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tuscon.
Barber
H B
HB
Barrett
H H
HH
Woolfenden
J M
JM
D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D008961:Models, Structural; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012372:ROC Curve; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012588:Scintillation Counting / Q000295:instrumentation