Background: This article compares the physical performance of the 4-ring digital Discovery MI (DMI) and PMT-based Discovery MI-DR (DMI-DR) PET/CT systems. Physical performance was assessed according to the NEMA NU 2-2012 standards. Performance measures included spatial resolution, image quality, scatter fraction and count rate performance, and sensitivity. Energy and timing resolutions were also measured. Published DMI and DMI-DR performance studies from other centers are reviewed and compared. Results: 4-ring DMI spatial resolution at 1-cm radial offset in the radial, tangential and axial directions was 4.62, 4.18 and 4.57 mm, respectively, compared with the DMI-DR system values of 4.58, 4.52, and 5.31 mm. Measured sensitivity was 13.3 kcps/ MBq at the center of the FOV and 13.4 kcps/MBq 10 cm off-center for the SiPMbased DMI system. DMI-DR system sensitivity was 6.3 kcps/MBq at the center of the FOV and 6.8 kcps/MBq at 10 cm off-center. DMI measured noise equivalent count rate peak was 175.6 kcps at 20.1 kBq/ml; DMI-DR was 146.7 kcps at 31.7 kBq/ml. Scatter fraction was 40.5% and 36.6%, respectively. DMI image contrast recovery (CR) values ranged from 73.2% (10 mm sphere) to 91.0% (37 mm sphere); DMI-DR, values ranged from 68.4% to 91.4%. DMI background variability (BV) was 1.8%-6.5%; DMI-DR was 2.3%-9.1%. The Q.Clear algorithm improved image quality, increasing CR and decreasing BV in both systems. The photopeak energy resolution was 9.63% and 12.19% for DMI and DMI-DR, respectively. The time-of-flight (TOF) resolution was 377.26 ps and 552.71 ps, respectively. Compared with measurements in other centers, results were similar and showed an absolute mean relative deviation of 6% for DMI and 7% for DMI-DR overall performance results. Conclusions: Performance measures were higher for the 4-ring DMI than the DMI-DR system. The biggest advantages of the 4-ring DMI vs DMI-DR are improved sensitivity and count rate performance. This should allow a better image signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) for the same acquisition times or, similar SNR with lower acquisition times or injected activity. In its 3-ring configuration, the DMI showed worse performance results than the PMT-based system in terms of count rate scatter fraction and image quality (for similar axial FOV).

Momentum-transfer collision cross-sections and integral collision cross-sections for the collision-induced dissociation are calculated for collisions of ionized argon dimers with argon atoms using a nonadiabatic semiclassical method with the electronic Hamiltonian calculated on the fly via a diatomics-in-molecules semiempirical model as well as inverse-method modeling based on simple isotropic rigid-core potential. The collision cross-sections are then used in an optimized Monte Carlo code for evaluations of the Ar 2 (+) mobility in argon gas, longitudinal diffusion coefficient, and collision-induced dissociation rates. A thorough comparison of various theoretical calculations as well as with available experimental data on the Ar 2 (+) mobility and collision cross-sections is performed. Good agreement is found between both theoretical approaches and the experiment. Analysis of the role of inelastic processes in Ar 2 (+)/Ar collisions is also provided.

This work is devoted to the calculation of transport coefficients for He(2)(+) ions in gaseous He at intermediate reduced electric fields. These swarm data are of great interest for a better understanding of the mechanisms of formation and propagation of the fast plasma bullets or ionization waves observed in dielectric barrier plasma jet devices. For transport data, the collision cross sections required are determined from several theoretical methods based on quantum, semiclassical, and hybrid approaches and a diatomics-in-molecules model for the potential energy surfaces of He(2)(+). The corresponding collision cross sections are then used in an optimized Monte Carlo code to calculate the ion transport coefficients over a wide range of reduced electric fields extending over the experimental range. Calculated transport coefficients are compared with available experimental data at low electric fields. Moreover, an extrapolation method is used in order to determine the reduced mobility for stronger fields. A critical discussion has been performed on the pertinence and the reliability of these different methods of determination of collision cross sections needed for the calculation of ion transport data. Such ion data will be used in electrohydrodynamic and chemical kinetic models of the low-temperature plasma jet to quantify and to tune the active species production for a better use in biomedical applications.

Collision cross sections and transport coefficients are calculated for Ar{+} ions, in the ground state {2}P_{3/2} and in the metastable state {2}P_{1/2}, colliding with their parent gas. Differential and integral collision cross sections are obtained using a numerical integration of the nuclear Schrödinger equation for several published interaction potentials. The Cohen-Schneider semi-empirical model is used for the inclusion of the spin-orbit interaction. The corresponding differential collision cross sections are then used in an optimized Monte Carlo code to calculate the ion transport coefficients for each initial ion state over a wide range of reduced electric field. Ion swarm data results are then compared with available experimental data for different proportions of ions in each state. This allows us to identify the most reliable interaction potential which reproduces ion transport coefficients falling within the experimental error bars. Such ion transport data will be used in electrohydrodynamic and chemical kinetic models of the low temperature plasma jet to quantify and to tune the active species production for a better use in biomedical applications.

Anti-COVID-19 vaccination has created new challenges. Lymphadenopathy (LA) with increased uptake in patients undergoing PET/CT may mislead to unnecessary further evaluation. We have analyzed routinely performed PET/CT studies following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination to familiarize with PET/CT appearances with various PET tracers and to prevent consequences of misinterpretation. Methods: 1281 PET/CT studies performed between January 01 2021 and February 15 2021 were analyzed. Information about dates and site of vaccination was collected. Visual and semi-quantitative analysis of axillaryneck LA and arm uptake was correlated with immunization data. Results: Increased uptake in unilateral axillary LA was observed in 66% vaccinated patients, in 55% vaccinated once and in 69% vaccinated twice. Intensity of uptake decreased over time. 64/315 patients (20%) had simultaneous increased activity in the posterior arm and ipsilateral axillary LA ("double sign" [DS]). Sensitivity, specificity,PPV and NPV of axillary LA and DS were 55.4%, 83.6%, 86.7%, 49.2% and 38.6%, 100%, 100% and 66.1%, respectively. No DS was observed later than 10 and 21 days after first and the second vaccinations, respectively. None of the non-vaccinated patients had arm uptake or DS. Conclusion:Anti-COVID-19 vaccination frequently causes non-specific axillary LA with increased PET tracer activity. In one fifth of our study population this was associated with increased uptake at the vaccination site, DS. DS was 100% specific with 100% PPV for p/vaccination LA hence enabling to avoid misinterpretation of PET/CT studies and further unnecessary evaluation.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive power of the absorbed dose to kidneys after the first course of treatment with [177Lu]-DOTA-TATE for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) on the cumulative kidney absorbed dose after 3 or 4 cycles of treatment. Post-treatment scans (PTS) are acquired after each cycle of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with [177Lu]-DOTA-TATE for personalized radiation dosimetry in order to ensure a cumulative absorbed dose to kidneys under a safety threshold of 25 Gy.One hundred eighty-seven patients who completed treatment with [177Lu]-DOTA-TATE and underwent PTS for dosimetry calculation were included in this retrospective study. The correlation between the cumulative absorbed dose to kidneys after the completion of treatment and the absorbed dose after the first cycle(s) was studied. Multilinear regression analysis was done to predict the cumulative absorbed dose to the kidneys of the subsequent cycles, and an algorithm for the follow up of kidney absorbed dose is proposed.ResultsPatients whose absorbed dose to kidneys after the first cycle of treatment is below 5.6 Gy can receive four cycles of treatment with a cumulative dose less than 25 Gy (p < 0.1). For the other patients, the cumulative absorbed dose after 3 or 4 cycles of treatment can be predicted after the second cycle of treatment to allow for an early decision regarding the number of cycles that may be given.ConclusionsThe follow up of kidney absorbed dose after PRRT can be simplified with the algorithm presented in this study, reducing by one-third the number of post-treatment scans and reducing hospitalization time for more than half of the treatment cycles.

Ion-atom collision cross-sections and transport coefficients are computed from several He 2 + interaction potentials. Differential and integral momentum transfer cross-sections are obtained with a close-coupling quantum method using several literature interaction potentials. These collision cross-sections are used in an optimized Monte Carlo code to calculate the ion transport coefficients over a wide range of reduced electric field considering first the scattering anisotropy by using a differential cross-section and then an isotropic scattering approximation based on momentum transfer cross-section. Reduced mobilities are compared with available experimental data. This allows us to segregate accurate potentials which provide reduced mobilities falling within experimental error bars.

Background: After each cycle of [ 177 Lu]-DOTA-TATE peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) dosimetry is performed to enable precise calculation of the radiationabsorbed dose to tumors and normal organs. Absorbed doses are routinely calculated from three quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies corrected by computed tomography (CT) acquired at t 1 = 24 h, t 2 = 96 h, and t 3 = 168 h after the first cycle of treatment. After following cycles, a single SPECT/CT study is performed. The aim of the present study is to assess the feasibility of a "two time point" quantitative SPECT/CT protocol after the first PRRT cycle and its impact on patient management. Quantitative SPECT/CT data of 25 consecutive patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors after PRRT were retrospectively analyzed. Radiation-absorbed doses calculated using the standard protocol with three SPECT/CT studies acquired at (t 1 , t 2 , t 3) were compared to those obtained from three different "two time point" protocols with SPECT/CT studies performed at (t 1 , t 2), (t 1 , t 3), or (t 2 , t 3). Results: The best agreement for the cumulative doses absorbed by the kidneys, bone marrow, liver, spleen, and tumors with the conventional protocol was obtained with the (t 1 , t 3) protocol with mean relative differences of − 1.0% ± 2.4%, 0.4% ± 3.1%, − 0.9% ± 4.0%, − 0.8% ± 1.1%, and − 0.5% ± 2.0%, respectively, and correlation coefficients of r = 0.99 for all. In all patients, there was no difference in the management decision of whether or not to stop PRRT because of unsafe absorbed dose to risk organs using either the standard protocol or the (t 1 , t 3) protocol. Conclusion: These preliminary results demonstrate that dosimetry calculations using two quantitative SPECT/CT studies acquired at 24 and 168 h after the first PRRT cycle are feasible and are in good agreement with the standard imaging protocol with no change in patient management decisions, while enabling improved patient comfort and reduced scanner and staff time.