title: Performance evaluation of the eXplore speCZT preclinical imaging system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The eXplore speCZT is a recently introduced cadmium zinc telluride-based preclinical SPECT system that has a stationary detector design with interchangeable rotating collimators. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of the eXplore speCZT using 99mTc-sources. In particular, the image quality was assessed using the National Electrical Manufacturers Association NU-4 image quality phantom as well as an in vivo mouse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Energy resolution, sensitivity and spatial resolution were measured using 99mTc sources. Image quality was assessed using NU-4 image quality phantom. The measurements were performed for 4 available collimators: (1) mouse 7-pinhole collimator (mouse PH); (2) mouse 8-slit collimator (mouse SL); (3) rat 5-pinhole collimator (rat PH); and (4) rat 5-slit collimator (rat SL). Furthermore, a mouse bone imaging study was performed using mouse PH and mouse SL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The system achieved the energy resolution of 5.5% in full-width at half maximum (FWHM) at 140 keV using a 99mTc source. Without resolution recovery function, the system provided a near millimeter transaxial and axial spatial resolution using mouse PH. Mouse SL and rat SL provided reasonably good transaxial (1.79-2.00 mm in FWHM), but much worse axial resolutions (4.55-4.96 mm in FWHM). The use of resolution recovery significantly improved spatial resolution by in average 31±3 or 35±4% in FWHM or full-width at tenth maximum, respectively. In particular, a sub-millimeter resolution of 0.71 mm in FWHM was achieved in either transaxial or axial direction with mouse PH. Using NU-4 phantom, the uniformity of slit collimators as expressed as percentage standard deviation was generally better than that of pinhole collimators. The use of resolution recovery substantially improved uniformity for all the collimators tested, but caused some overestimation in recovery coefficient. Reconstruction settings such as iteration or subset number significantly affected image quality measures. Finally, bone images of acceptable quality were obtained in in vivo mouse using mouse PH with resolution recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall performance shows that the eXplore speCZT system is suitable for preclinical imaging-based research using small-animals.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Department, The Medical and Pharmacological Research Center Foundation, Wo 32, Inoyama, Hakui, Ishikawa, 925-0613, Japan, matsunari@mprcf.or.jp.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsunari
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Kodai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yonezawa
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinuya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D051379:Mice; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D051381:Rats; D013667:Technetium; D013691:Tellurium; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015032:Zinc
chemical_list: C474490:CdZnTe; D002104:Cadmium; D013667:Technetium; D015032:Zinc; D013691:Tellurium