APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FLOODING A NUCLEAR IMAGING DEVICE WITH RADIATION FROM AN IMAGING SOURCE

Abstract: Apparatus and method is disclosed for flooding a nuclear imaging device (gamma camera) (1) with radiation from a calibration (flood) source (solid sheet) (8) in such manner as to greatly enhance the uniformity of the count density. For this purpose the flood source (8) is positionned beneath or adjacent the camera (1) for reception of radiation from the source by the device's sensing elements. The source is moved in a controlled motion. The resultant blurring or diminishing the effects of any non-uniformities in the source improves the perceived uniformity. An embodiment includes a mechanism (30) by which complex controlled motion is effected. This mechanism (30) includes a plurality of geared shafts (31, 32, 33) interconnected between the source support (18) and a drive motor (16). The resultant motion is a complex continuous patterned motion which presents many points on the source (8) to each of a plurality of sensors or detectors in the nuclear imaging device (1). Test results indicate greatly enhanced source characteristics which allow a solid source (Cobalt 57 or radioactive gold) to be substituted (as appropriate) for liquid phantoms (e.g. Tc-99m) with the advantage of avoiding the attendant problems associated with such liquid phantoms.

Description: APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FLOODING A NUCLEAR IMAGING DEVICE WITH RADIATION FROM AN IMAGING SOURCE This invention is directed to apparatus and methods for flooding a nuclear imaging device with radiation from a radiation source. Embodiments are provided which are adapted for correcting for non-uniformities in count density in nuclear imaging sources; for providing uniform flooding of a nuclear imaging device by a standardised source (solid or liquid). An embodiment relates to such apparatus and methods for single photon emission computed tomography ("SPECT") and another embodiment relates to such apparatus and methods employing cobalt-57 sources. In nuclear imaging, compensation can be made for various errors such as errors attributable to detection systems and items such as collimators. In compensating for these errors, it is known to require a flood-field image of a standard radiation-emitting uniform source and to correct the images produced by a camera after it has been calibrated with the uniform source image. But in so calibrating nuclear imaging devices, a source with non-uniform radiation emission count density can cause errors for which compensation cannot be made. It is especially important in single photon emission computer tomography to ensure that the source count has a uniform density. In practice such sources, even certified standard sources, are found to exhibit varying degrees of count density non-uniformity. Whereas techniques (e.g. "masking") have been evolved for compensating for deficiencies in the detection system (e.g. crystals or photo multiplier tubes) or deficiencies in a collimator, hitherto there have been no reliable and readily implemented means of compensating for non-uniformities in the source count. Commercially available standard nuclear imaging sources, including solid sources and refillable liquid standards, exhibit some degree of non-uniformity. Refillable liquid standards such as liquid phantoms are subject to deformation, poor mixing, absence of retrospective verification, accidental contamination and substantial handling requirements. Increased handling required by refillable phantoms, such as a refillable liquid technetium-99m phantom, subjects technologists to increased radiation exposure. Commercially available source standards in the form of cobalt-57 solid sheet generally fail to provide an adequate uniform count density. In the United States the standards for count density uniformity are specified by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ( 'NEMA' ) . It has been found that standard sources with a stated certified non-uniformity of +/-1% may actually have a much higher non-uniformity if the standard "NEMA" procedures are applied. This is explained by the fact that the certified non-uniformity of commercial standard sources is obtained as a result of sampling of counts from the surface of the standard rather than on a total surface radiography. In addition another explanation of errors arises from the fact that the values of certified non-uniformity have been quantified from counts in only two smoothed pixels (the maximum and the minimum). This factor renders the method open to error. The results are dependent on the distribution of small flaws. For the purpose of compensating for source non-uniformity, one known method involves a tedious manual re-positioning of a source for mapping in multiple positions. This has been described in a United States publication entitled "Uniformity Correction for SPECT Using a Mapped Cobalt-57 Sheet Source, " in Volume 26, No. .4 of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, April 1985. Thus, there has long been a need for efficient and effective apparatuses and methods for correcting for count density non-uniformity in nuclear calibration sources. There has long been a need for apparatuses and methods for uniformly flooding a nuclear imaging device such as a gamma camera with radiation from a standard radiation source. There has long been a need for them particularly for SPECT. As above indicated, such provision is particularly relevant to single photon emission computed tomography ('SPECT'). According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for flooding a nuclear imaging device with radiation from a radiation emitting calibration source, the imaging device having a plurality of radiation sensors, the source having multiple radiation-emitting areas, the method comprising the steps of: (a) positioning thesource adjacent the imaging device for reception of radiation from the source by the device's sensors, and (b) moving the source in a controlled motion so that individual sensors receive radiation from more than one radiation-emitting area of the source. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for continuously moving a radiation emitting calibration source in a source plane adjacent to a nuclear imaging device, the imaging device having a plurality of individual sensors for receiving radiation from the source, the sensors being disposed in a sensor plane parallel to the source plane, the source having multiple radiation-emitting areas, the apparatus comprising a support for the source, a support shaft secured to the support, a motor operatively connected to the support shaft for moving the support in a continuous controlled movement and thereby moving the source when it is on the support in the source plane so that individual sensors of the nuclear imaging device receive radiation from more than one radiation-emitting area of the source. In a preferred embodiment the apparatus is associated with a nuclear imaging device comprising a gamma camera. The apparatus and method may be advantageously employed when the source is a solid sheet of cobalt-57. Likewise the apparatus and method may be advantageously employed when the source is solid radioactive gold. In an embodiment the support is movable in a circle by the motor. In another embodiment the motor has a drive shaft, an intermediate shaft is disposed between and interconnected with the support shaft and the drive shaft by suitable gears and connectors on each shaft for providing non-circular movement of the source. The non-circular movement may be movement along a simple curve. Alternatively the non-circular movement may be movement along a complex curve. Thus embodiments of the present invention teach a method for uniformly flooding a nuclear imaging device with radiation -from an imaging source and for correcting for the non-uniformity in count density of nuclear imaging sources, and apparatus for carrying out the methods. The movement of the source in a controlled motion, thereby blurs or diminishes the effects of any non-uniformities in the source. In this way the method and apparatus ensures that each sensor or detector in the camera receives radiation from more than one radiation-emitting area of the source so that each sensor receives a more similar amount of liσht (radiation) than if the source was not moved. The movement of the source can be accomplished over a long period of time, in a pattern, in a reproducible pattern, continuously, in a complex motion, or repetitively. In an embodiment of the apparatus the controlled motion is a complex patterned motion. This motion presents many points on the source to each of a plurality of sensors or detectors in the imaging device (camera). In turn, this diminishes the effects of non-uniformities and local flaws in the source. The source may be a phantom or a refillable liquid phantom. However, a solid source is preferred. This is particularly so when performing calibration of the nuclear imaging device for subsequent diagnostic practices involving use of the common tracers technetium-99m and iodine-123. For such calibration purposes, a solid cobalt-57 sheet is the preferred flood source. Such Cobalt-57 sheets are commercially available. Other solid sources which are suitable include (but are not limited to) a solid radioactive gold source. This source is preferred when calibrating the nuclear imaging device for subsequent use with the heart tracer thallium-201. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view 5 of a typical prior art nuclear imaging device in the form of a gamma camera which is disposed above a source of gamma radiation; FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of apparatus according to an embodiment which is shown 0 disposed beneath a gamma camera; FIG. 3 shows a side cross-sectional view of a mechanism for the apparatus of FIG. 2 comprising a shaft and gear assembly; FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the 5 motor-shaft linkage of the apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 shows a reproduction of an actual trace of a pencil held against a piece of paper mounted on the support of the apparatus of FIG. 2 and rotated thereby; FIG. 6 shows a copy of a flood image using a 0 large stationary flood source with three small radiating disks placed on the large source; FIG. 7 shows a copy of a flood image obtained by subjecting the source of FIG. 6 to simple (circular) motion according to the apparatus of FIG. 10; 5 FIG. 8 shows a copy of a flood image obtained by subjecting the source of FIG. 6 to complex motion using the mechanism of FIG. 2; FIG. 9 shows a computer-produced representation of the complex motion of a single point 30 on a source supported on the apparatus of FIG. 2 and subjected to the motion produced by the mechanism of FIG. 3; FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of a motor-shaft combination for providing circular motion Q- for the apparatus of FIG. 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical commercially available prior art nuclear imaging device in the form of a gamma camera 1. Camera 1 has a collimator 2 through which gamma radiation from a source 8 passes to a scintillation crystal 3, and then through a light pipe 4 to photo-multiplier tubes 5. Electrical signals from photo-multiplier tubes 5 go to an electronics section 6 where position and energy analysis is performed and results in output signals 7. FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This apparatus is employed to displace a flood source 20 (which is a standard commercially available flood source) beneath the gamma camera 56. The apparatus 10 comprises a trolley 11 which is formed of various support members 12 welded together. A bottom shelf 13 extends between the support members 12. A top shelf 14 also extends between the support members and is located above the bottom shelf 13. For convenience of handling and movement, the trolley 11 is mounted on wheels 15. It also has a trolley handle 24 extending between two of the support members 12 and located above the top shelf 14. An electric motor 16 is mounted to a motor mount 55. Motor mount 55 is secured to the bottom shelf 13. The motor used was a model no. 544 from Bodine Electric Company of the United States. A speed control 17 is mounted to and beneath top shelf 14. It has a power cord 22 extending therefrom. A power cord 23 extends from the speed control 17 to the motor 16. A plurality (four) of support rods 19 extend through and are secured to the top shelf 14 and the bottom shelf 13. Ball bearing means 21 is mounted at the top of each support rod 19. A source support plate 18 is movably disposed on the ball bearing means 21. Experience has shown that caster means (not shown) work as well as, but more quietly than, the ball bearing means 21. A mechanism comprising gear-shaft assembly 30 is arranged between the motor 16 and the source support plate 18. This gear-shaft assembly 30 is shown in detail in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the motor 16 has a gear box 25 from which a motor shaft 26 extends. A small sprocket 27 is secured to the shaft 26. A chain 29 wraps around the small sprocket 27 and around a large sprocket 28. Sprocket 28 is secured to a bottom shaft 31 of the gear-shaft assembly 30. The driven movement of the gear-shaft assembly 30 produces a complex motion pattern for the source 20 beneath the gamma camera 56. In embodiments herein provision can be made to provide a mechanism by which the source is moved along a simple curve or along a complex curve as exemplified by the mechanism of FIG. 3. Circular motion can be achieved by simply driving a top shaft 33 by the motor 16 directly (as explained below with reference to FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom shaft 31 is disposed in and through a bearing 38 within which it is rotatable. Bearing 38 is secured to the top shelf 14. The shaft 31 is also disposed in and through a bottom shaft gear 34 within which it is rotatable. A bottom steel cuff 45 is secured to the bottom shaft 31 by means of a lock screw 41a. Screw 41a is located in a recess 57 in the bottom steel cuff 45. This lock screw 41a engages the bottom shaft 31. A middle shaft 32 has a first middle shaft gear 35 secured to it by a lock screw 40. The first middle shaft gear 35 mates with and turns with the bottom shaft gear 34. The middle shaft 32 extends through and is rotatable within a bearing 47, the bottom steel cuff 45, and a bearing 48. A lock collar 50 is secured to the middle shaft 32 by a lock screw 44. This collar 50 maintains the bearings 48, a second middle shaft gear 36, and the cuff 45 in position about the middle shaft 32. The middle shaft 32 extends into and is secured to a top steel cuff 46 by a lock screw 41b. The second middle shaft gear 36 is secured to and partially within the bottom steel cuff 45 by a lock screw 42. The bearing 48 extends through and is rotatable within the second middle shaft gear 36. A top shaft 33 extends through and is rotatable within bearing 49. The bearing 49 is partially disposed within the top steel cuff 46 which itself is tightly emplaced about the bearing 49. A top shaft gear 37 is secured to the top shaft 33 by a lock screw 43. This gear 37 mates with and turns with the second middle shaft gear 36. A lock collar 51 is secured to the top shaft 33 by a lock screw 44a. Collar 51 maintains the bearings 49 and the top steel cuff 46 in position above the top shaft gear 37. A top lock collar 52 is secured to the top shaft 33 by lock screws 44b. A flange 53 is welded to the top stop collar 52. This flange 53 supports and is secured to the source support plate 18 (FIG. 2). As indicated in FIG. 4, the bottom shaft 31 is driven by the sprocket 28 and rotates at a fixed axis with respect to the top shelf 14. As shown in FIG. 3 the middle shaft 32 is driven by the bottom shaft gear 34 which drives the first middle shaft gear 35. Shaft 32 moves in a circle around the bottom shaft 31. The gears 34, 35 control the speed of the middle shaft 32. When it moves the middle shaft 32 pulls the second middle shaft gear 36 along with it. The top steel cuff 46 moves with the middle shaft 32 since it is secured to this shaft. When the top steel cuff 46 moves, 10 it pulls the top shaft 33 with it. As it does so, the top shaft gear 37 moves with the top shaft 33 and, in so doing, the top shaft gear 37 drives the second middle shaft gear 36. The speed of the top shaft 33 is dependent upon the gear ratio of gear 37 to gear 36 (in combination with the gear ratio of bottom shaft gear 34 to first middle shaft gear 35). The speed of the middle shaft 32 is dependent on the gear ratio of the bottom shaft gear 34 to the first middle shaft gear 35. In the apparatus of FIGS. 2 to 4, the gear ratio of gears 37, 36 is 3 to 1 and that of gears 34, 35 is 1.6 to 2.5. Of course any desired and appropriate ratios may be used. The chain 29 has a 0.25 inches (approximately 6.4 mm) pitch. The small sprocket 27 has an effective diameter of 0.996 inches (approximately 25.3 mm). The large sprocket 28 had an effective diameter of 4.777 inches (approximately 12.13 cm). The shaft 26 is capable of a maximum speed of 72 revolutions per minute, but it is preferred to run it at about one-half that speed. In tests, best results were obtained when the bottom shaft 31 was initially aligned with the top shaft 33 in order to align the source support plate 18 beneath the nuclear imaging device 1. Changes may be made in the path of motion of the source support plate 18 motion path. Such changes may effect motion of the source along other simple or complex curves in a plane illustrated by line A-A in FIG. 2. This plane is parallel to a plane in which individual sensors (not shown) of the gamma camera are disposed (such as the plane of line B-B in FIG. 2). Such changes may be effected by a variety of modifications to the apparatus of FIGS. 3, 4 including, but not limited to, changes in shaft diameter, gear diameter, gear ratios, and cuff size. The controlled continuous comolex motion 11 achieved by the apparatus 10 is shown in two ways. A pencil trace 54 reproduced in FIG. 5 was obtained by placing a piece of paper on the source support plate 18 and holding a pencil above and in contact with the paper while the plate was moved by the apparatus 10. The trace of FIG. 5 shows the path that one detector in the camera takes over the source, i.e., it indicates the areas on the source detected by one detector in the camera. A motion trace 68 shown in FIG. 9 was produced by a computer simulation of the motion of the apparatus 10 and represents the path followed by a point on the support plate 18 about three inches (approximately 7.62 cm) outward from the top shaft 33. (Of course, the actual path is smooth and continuous.) This trace is that which would be produced on a piece of photographic film above the source if a point light source was placed on the source support plate and then the plate was moved by the apparatus 10. As will be discussed in more detail below, the images shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 demonstrate the use of the methods and apparatus herein when a standard source has additional small radioactive areas. FIG. 6 illustrates a gamma radiation source image 60 which includes hot spots or flaws 61, 62, 63 created by the addition of three cobalt-57 discs to the standard source. FIG. 7 shows a gamma radiation source image achieved by subjecting the source which produced image 60 to simple circular motion. This produced a more uniform image 67, but also produced undesirable ring disc image tracks 64, 65, 66. Subjecting the source which produced image 60 to complex motion with the apparatus 10 achieved the relatively more uniform image 69 shown in FIG. 8. Simple circular motion of the source support plate 18 can be achieved by simply mounting a shaft beneath the source support plate 18 and rotating it 12 either by hand or with a motor. As shown in FIG. 10 the motor 16 can have its drive shaft 26 connected directly to the support plate 18 to produce circular motion of a source placed on the support plate. In tests the effective non-uniformity of several flood correction approaches was quantified. Stationary approaches involved a commercially available standard 1% cobalt-57 flood source (ST) and a refillable Tc-99m pertechnetate flood source phantom (RE). The ST approach utilized a 10 mCi Co-57 solid sheet flood source certified as less than 1% non-uniform. The RE source was charged with 20 mCi Tc-99m pertechnetate. After charging, it was agitated. It was then allowed to stand for 6 hours. It was again agitated to achieve adequate mixing of activity throughout the source. Particular care was taken to avoid deformation of the phantom due to the volume of the Tc-99m solution. Motion was introduced first by circularly (CI) rotating the source ST at 25 revolutions per minute. Complex motion (CX) was achieved with an apparatus such as the apparatus 10 of FIG. 2. The continuously moving source repeated the pattern diagrammed in FIG. 9 every 17 minutes. Non-uniformity was quantitated by autoradiography. Autoradiography was performed by attaching a cardboard cassette loaded with high resolution radiographic film to a fixed surface. For the ST and RE determinations, the sources were placed beneath the loaded cassette for 60 and 18 hours, respectively. For CI and CX, the sources were moved beneath the loaded cassette for 60 hours. Exposed films were then developed. The developed film was divided into one centimetre squares. A microdensitometer was used to measure the optical density of each square within the 13 central (75 %) field of view (CFOV) of each flood image. Multiple readings of arbitrary squares were taken to establish a reliability value. Optical density matrices were thus compiled for each flood. After appropriate smoothing according to 'NEMA' procedures, the non-uniformity of each matrix was computed using the usual formula: the difference between the maximum and minimum smoothed pixel density divided by their sum. The standard deviation for optical densities measured in each square was also computed for each CFOV. Since the purpose of these tests was to optimize the flood field matrix used to provide uniformity correction for SPECT data acquisition, each approach (ST, CI, CX and RE) was used to acquire 30,000,000 counts into a 64 by 64 digital matrix. The sources were imaged through a slightly defective low energy all purpose collimator to simulate the environment often encountered clinically. Each matrix was then analysed using commercially available quality assurance software to compute differential and integral non-uniformity by standard methods. Another experiment introduced local flaws, in the form of small Co-57 sources, to the flood source (see FIGS. 6-8). Flood images using the ST, CI and CX approaches were acquired for 30,000,000 counts. The same analytic methods were then applied as described in the paragraph above. Autoradiographic analysis established the moving flood sources, CI and CX, as both more uniform than the stationary cobalt flood source, ST, and comparable to RE (Table I). The precision of the autoradiography was determined by repeating the reading of 112 regions. The optical density measured during the two readings was 1.211 +/- 0.018 and 1.217 +/- 0.020 (mean +/- standard deviation). A single pixel was 14 remeasured 90 times. The optical density was 1-.120 +/- 0.004 (mean +/- standard deviation). The semiautomatic analysis using 30,000,000 count images confirmed the superior uniformity of CI and CX over ST. Acquisition times approximated 45 minutes for these flood images, a long period compared to the time required to complete the motion patterns. The RE values in this experiment were comparable to the moving sources (Table II). TABLE I NONUNIFORMITY OF FLOOD SOURCES BY AUTORADIOGRAPHY NONUNIFORMITY Refillable Tc-99m 3.7% Standard Co-57 4.3% Co-57 with circular motion 3.0% Co-57 with complex motion 3.3% 15 TABLE I I NONUNIFORMITY OF FLOODS AS DETERMINED BY SCINTIGRAPHY DIFFERENTIAL INTEGRAL NONUNIFORMITY NONUNIFORMITY Point source 2.6% 3.4% Refillable Tc-99m 3.4% 5.7% Co-57 without motion 4.2% 6.4% Co-57 with circular motio <nn 3.5% 5.4% Co-57 with complex motion 3.2% 5.5% The images of artificially introduced flood source flaws show that both CI (FIG. 7) and CX (FIG. 8) mute the effects of these artifacts. Importantly, CX blurred the flaws to the degree that they were no longer easily perceived (FIG. 8). Moving the flood source improves the effective nonuniformity of the flood images using both autoradiography and standard, semiautomatic methods. This improvement persisted even in the face of nonuniformities imposed by the imaging system, accentuated by a defective collimator. The improvement was quite tolerant of severe local flaws although, in that case, complex motion was markedly better than simple circular motion. Simple circular motion resulted in unacceptable ring artifacts. Thus, it is seen that the apparatuses and methods of embodiments of the present invention readily achieve the ends and advantages mentioned as well as other inherent therein.

Claims: 16 CLAIMS : 1. A method for flooding a nuclear imaging device (1) with radiation from a radiation emitting calibration source (8), the imaging device (1) having a plurality of radiation sensors, the source (8) having multiple radiation-emitting areas, the method comprising the steps of: (a)positioning the source (8) adjacent the imaging device (1) for reception of radiation from the source (8) by the device's sensors, and (b) moving the source (8) in a controlled motion so that individual sensors receive radiation from more than one radiation-emitting area of the source (8) . 2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the source (8) is moved along a simple curve in a plane (A-A) parallel to a plane (B-B) in which the sensors are located. 3. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the source (8) is moved along a complex curve in a plane (A-A) parallel to a plane (B-B) in which the sensors are located. 4. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the source (8) is moved in a circle in a plane (A-A) parallel to a plane (B-B) in which the sensors are located. 5. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the nuclear imaging device (1) is a gamma camera. 6. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the source (8) is a solid sheet of cobalt-57. 7. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the source (8) is solid radioactive gold. 8. Apparatus for continuously moving a radiation emitting calibration source (8) in a source plane (A-A) 17 adjacent to a nuclear imaging .device (1), the imaging device (1) having a plurality of individual sensors for receiving radiation from the source (8), the sensors being disposed in a sensor plane (B-B) parallel to the source plane (A-A), the source (8) having multiple radiation-emitting areas, the apparatus comprising a support (18) for the source (8), a support shaft (33) secured to the support (18), a motor (16) operatively connected to the support shaft (33) for moving the support (18) in a continuous controlled movement and thereby moving the source (8) when it is on the support (18) in the source plane (A-A) so that individual sensors of the nuclear imaging device (1) receive radiation from more than one radiation-emitting area of the source. 9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the nuclear imaging device (1) is a gamma camera. 10. Apparatus as claimed in either Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the source (8) is a solid sheet of cobalt-57. 11. Apparatus as claimed in either Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the source (8) is solid radioactive gold. 12. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the support (18) is movable in a circle by the motor (16). 13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the motor (16) has a drive shaft (31) and wherein an intermediate shaft (32) is disposed between and interconnected with the support shaft (33) and the drive shaft (31) by suitable gears (34, 35, 36, 37) and connectors (45, 46) on each shaft (31, 32, 33) for providing non-circular movement of the source (8). 14. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the non-circular movement is movement along a simple curve. 18 15. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the non-circular movement is movement along a complex curve.

Inventors: KIRBY STEPHEN BROOKS, MATTHIESEN SHARON RUTH, ROGERS ROXANNE RUSSELL, SIMON THEODORE RONALD, KIRBY, STEPHEN, BROOKS, MATTHIESEN, SHARON, RUTH, ROGERS, ROXANNE, RUSSELL, SIMON, THEODORE, RONALD
Applicants: DUNCAN MICHAEL DENNIS, LUCAS BRIAN RONALD, DUNCAN, MICHAEL, DENNIS, LUCAS, BRIAN, RONALD
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G01T1
IPC codes: G01T1