Attenuation correction of SPECT imaging by dual energy method

Application of radiolabeled monoclonal anti-tumor antibodies for diagnosis and therapy has made remarkable progress in the past few years. Quantification of radiopharmaceutical localization is required adequate attenuation correction in SPECT imaging. Attenuation correction by transmission CT (TCT) data is one of the best method at present time. However, if a patient is moved between TCT and SPECT, this method is no more applicable. We developed a new attenuation correction algolism by dual energy method, using 99mTc and 111In because of similarity of these linear attenuation coefficients. The new algolism uses data of TCT with an external source of 99mTc, and requires another data from SPECT of 111In labeled monoclonal anti-tumor antibody, which are simultaneously obtained. TCT results in an attenuation map, which then serves as input into the final intrinsic correction algolism to uncorrected SPECT data. In chest phantom experiment, the attenuation corrected SPECT images revealed nearly same distribution of actual radioactivity of 111In as compared to that of uncorrected one. (author)