Imaging performance evaluation in depth-of-interaction PET with a new method of sinogram generation:A Monte Carlo simulation study

In conventional PET systems,the parallax error degrades image resolution and causes image distortion.To remedy this,a PET ring diameter has to be much larger than the required size of field of view(FOV),and therefore the cost goes up.Measurement of depth-of-interaction(DOI)information is effective to reduce the parallax error and improve the image quality.This study is aimed at developing a practical method to incorporate DOI information in PET sinogram generation and image reconstruction processes and evaluate its efficacy through Monte Carlo simulation.An animal PET system with 30-mm long LSO crystals and 2-mm DOI measurement accuracy was simulated and list-mode PET data were collected.A sinogram generation method was proposed to bin each coincidence event to the correct LOR location according to both incident crystal indices and DOI positions of the two annihilation photons.The sinograms were reconstructed with an iterative OSMAPEM(ordered subset maximum a posteriori expectation maximization)algorithm.Two phantoms(a rod source phantom and a Derenzo phantom)were simulated,and the benefits of DOI were investigated in terms of reconstructed source diameter(FWHM)and source positioning accuracy.The results demonstrate that the proposed method works well to incorporate DOI information in data processing,which not only overcomes the image distortion problem but also significantly improves image resolution and resolution uniformity and results in satisfactory image quality.     

环境水样自动监测装置的效率标定及Monte Carlo模拟

为获得自动取样监测装置中的NaI(Tl)探测器对于低水平环境水样中人工放射性核素137Cs比活度,对NaI(Tl)探测器γ能谱响应进行了实验标定与Monte Carlo模拟,分别模拟了探测器对137Cs点源的能谱响应,探测器置于铅室内137Cs溶液中央的能谱响应。探测效率与峰总比的模拟计算结果与实际值基本一致。结果表明,利用经较高比活度实验结果验证的MC计算模型,可校正低活度水平环境水样的测量值,为在线监测方法的建立提供了技术支持。     

基于蒙特卡罗数学模型评价不同螺距冠状动脉CCTA受检者辐射剂量的特点与验证

收集61例采用双源CT Flash大螺距冠状动脉CCTA (Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography,CCTA)受检者资料,按WHO亚洲人体质量指数(BMI )标准将研究对象分为三组:正常组(12例)、超重组(41例)和肥胖组(8例),应用蒙特卡罗(Monte Carlo)数学模型软件计算三组受检者大螺距与常规螺距行CCTA的器官剂量,比较两种螺距CCTA时受检者的器官剂量分布特点及两种螺距CCTA的有效剂量变化幅度,并与大螺距模式下CT设备直接读取法所得有效剂量值进行比较。结果表明,用蒙特卡罗软件计算的双源CT大螺距CCTA受检者的器官剂量比常规螺距技术的剂量降低约70%,其中心脏、胸腺的器官剂量下降最为明显,降幅最大约80%;三组CCTA受检者大螺距较常规螺距的有效剂量(E)均降低明显(p<0.05),正常组使用大螺距技术后有效剂量E降幅最为明显;大螺距模式下数学模型软件模拟有效剂量E与CT设备所测有效剂量E间的偏差度小于50%。说明Monte Carlo数学模型软件可用于检查前预估或回顾性分析CCTA扫描时受检者的器官剂量与有效剂量的分布情况,并预判CCTA大螺距模式对受检者的胸部器官剂量和有效剂量,从而达到了降低辐射剂量的目的,尤其对BMI较小的受检者(如儿童)控制辐射风险更具意义。对开展低剂量CT技术具有一定实际意义。     

Design of an Anti-Compton Spectrometer for Low-Level Radioactive Wastes using Monte Carlo Techniques

An anti-Compton spectrometer with semi-2π Compton suppression is designed to identify the photons emitted from low-level radioactive wastes from radioisotope usage and nuclear research laboratory. Since the objective sample is massive and large, the system has a full opening toward the sample position. The characteristics and features of the system concerning Compton suppression and reduction of the background component due to natural radioactive source are estimated by the Monte Carlo simulations. The anti-Compton technique is shown to be quite advantageous for the reduction of the surrounding natural background radiation, as well as the suppression of the background for the higher energy photons.     

Application of the Monte Carlo method to the analysis of measurement geometries for the calibration of a HP Ge detector in an environmental radioactivity laboratory

A gamma spectrometer including an HP Ge detector is commonly used for environmental radioactivity measurements. The efficiency of the detector should be calibrated for each geometry considered. Simulation of the calibration procedure with a validated computer program is an important auxiliary tool for environmental radioactivity laboratories. The MCNP code based on the Monte Carlo method has been applied to simulate the detection process in order to obtain spectrum peaks and determine the efficiency curve for each modelled geometry. The source used for measurements was a calibration mixed radionuclide gamma reference solution, covering a wide energy range (50-2000 keV). Two measurement geometries - Marinelli beaker and Petri boxes - as well as different materials - water, charcoal, sand - containing the source have been considered. Results obtained from the Monte Carlo model have been compared with experimental measurements in the laboratory in order to validate the model.     

Method for converting in-situ gamma ray spectra of a portable Ge detector to an incident photon flux energy distribution based on Monte Carlo simulation

A matrix stripping method for the conversion of in-situ gamma ray spectrum, obtained with portable Ge detector, to photon flux energy distribution is proposed. The detector response is fully described by its stripping matrix and full absorption efficiency curve. A charge collection efficiency function is introduced in the simulation to take into account the existence of a transition zone of increasing charge collection after the inactive Ge layer. Good agreement is obtained between simulated and experimental full absorption efficiencies. The characteristic stripping matrix is determined by Monte Carlo simulation for different incident photon energies using the Geant4 toolkit system. The photon flux energy distribution is deduced by stripping the measured spectrum of the partial absorption and cosmic ray events and then applying the full absorption efficiency curve. The stripping method is applied to a measured in-situ spectrum. The value of the absorbed dose rate in air deduced from the corresponding flux energy distribution agrees well with the value measured directly in-situ.     

Transformation of a system consisting of plane isotropic source and unit sphere detector into a system consisting of point isotropic source and plane detector in Monte Carlo radiation transport calculation

In a nuclear power plant accident, radioactive nuclides may be released which are distributed uniformly on the ground. If estimation of dose rate from such a source by a Monte Carlo calculation is attempted, some difficulty is encountered because the calculation efficiency is very low. To solve this low efficiency problem, we show that a plane isotropic source can be transformed into a point isotropic source by changing the detector shape from a unit sphere to a plane. We verified the validity of this transformation by the numerical comparison of unscattered photon fluence. As an example of this transformation, the ambient dose rate D _i was calculated from the uniform radioactive nuclide distribution on the ground using the EGS5 Monte Carlo code. We also measured the radioactivity and ambient dose rate (M) on the KEK campus within a month after the releases from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant accident. Using radioactivity data and D _i, we calculated the ambient dose rate (C). The calculated and measured ambient dose rates agreed reasonably well; their ratio (C/M) was 0.62 to 1.28.