title: A new PET resolution measurement method through Monte-Carlo simulations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to propose a novel method for image quality assessment in PET scanners through estimation of the modulation transfer function (MTF) of a plane source. The simulation was implemented using the previously validated Monte-Carlo model. A comparison of the proposed method with the more traditional technique, based on a line source, was also performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Geant4 application for tomographic emission (GATE) Monte-Carlo package was used for model development, and reconstructed images were obtained using software for tomographic image reconstruction (STIR) with cluster computing. A novel plane source consisting of a radioactive ((18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose) thin-layer chromatography plate was simulated (total source activity: 44.4 MBq) to assess image quality through the MTF. All images were reconstructed with the three-dimensional filtered back projection (FBP3DRP) and ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) reprojection algorithms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MTFs obtained using ordered-subsets expectation maximization show, in all cases, that higher frequencies are preserved compared with those obtained using the FBP3DRP. In addition, the plane source method is less prone to noise than the conventional line source method (SD=0.0031 and 0.0203, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The thin-layer chromatography-based plane source presented requires materials commonly found in a clinical environment and could be used to assess image quality in nuclear medicine departments and to further develop PET and single-photon emission computed tomography scanners through Monte-Carlo simulations.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras bDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, School of Technological Applications, Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Karpetas
authors.forename: Christos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Michail
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Fountos
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kandarakis
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Panayiotakis
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software