The evaluation of results of applying quality tests for SPECT, γ-camera and scanner

To check the performance of SPECT, γ-camera and scanner in Shanghai, and to promote applying quality of nuclear medical imaging instrumentation. (1) Performance phantom (76-823 source tank, 76-824 set of 3 inserts): It permits measurements of the resolution of 'hot' lesions in a 'cold' field, 'cold' lesions in a 'hot' field, linearity, uniformity of response to a uniform field. (2) Hoffman brain phantom (model No.9000): providing a truly three-dimensional model of the radioisotope distribution in the normal patient brain. The size and structure of the phantom including the gray and white matter subsections, are representative of studies in emission tomography. The phantom simulates the 4:1 gray to white matter uptake ratio, that is normally seen in studies such as 123I and 99mTc brain perfusion imaging in SPECT. (3) Thyroid phantom: Composing of three 'cold' lesions whose diameters are 8, 10 and 12 mm and one 'hot' lesion whose diameter is 10 mm. Left lobe is 9 mm thick while right one 18 mm thick. There are 22 SPECT scanners including 8 double-detector SPECT and 14 single-detector SPECT. Of the 22 SPECT 16 were qualified in uniformity. The 'hot' lesions were 9-10 mm with Double-detectors, 11-12 mm with single-detector; while the 'cold' lesions were about 10 mm and 11-12 mm respectively. The brain imaging is not very good generally. 50% of γ-cameras were not qualified in uniformity. Scanners did not detect the thyroid phantom 'cold' or 'hot' lesion. According to the quality control results, the applying performance of nuclear medicine imaging instrumentation is relative satisfactory in Shanghai