Monte Carlo Calculations in Nuclear Medicine: Applications in Diagnostic Imaging

Abstract

The book seems to be useful as an answer to how and where to begin with applications of Monte Carlo calculations in nuclear medicine imaging. It includes basic principles of gamma cameras (SPECT and PET), but basic principles of Monte Carlo calculations are presented just for physicist; physicians interested in the field must find adequate references. From the other side, the basics of nuclear medicine instrumentation are given with plenty of physical insight. The majority of the chapters are written with a clear, uniform level; they are well linked, and the editors' work is evident. Authors demonstrate how efficient Monte Carlo simulation packages have allowed the study of scatter for more realistic activity distributions and attenuation maps, and according to a variety of physical parameters. Some of the packages commented on are: (1) SIMSET. For SPECT and PET. PET collimators simulation based on the PETSIM code. This program is under continuous development to include improvements in several physical effects and simulation of SPECT collimators and detectors. (2) MCMATV3D. A vectorized Monte Carlo code for phantom transport in heterogeneous media. Useful, for example, to study nonuniform attenuation compensation for simulated SPECT studies and to evaluate scatter subtraction methods in nonuniform media. (3) SIMSPECT. This validated code models tomographic imaging from nonuniform, asymmetric radionuclide source geometries. Can be used to investigate collimator geometric response including cone beam; positron emitters in SPECT can also be modelled with SIMSPECT. The code is suited to examining different collimator designs (materials and dimensions) and considering `contamination' of images by higher energy photons. (4) SIMIND. This program simulates clinical SPECT cameras including different types of detector parameters and has the capability to simulate transmission sources. Research works performed with SIMIND are commented on: comparison of different scatter corrections techniques, multiple windows scatter correction methods, high-count-rate detector response, transmission SPECT, downscatter and properties of collimators. Even if some important applications, such as the evaluation of iterative reconstruction scatter compensation, deserve more space, the authors show that Monte Carlo simulation is valuable for development, testing and comparison of scatter correction models in nuclear medicine tomographic imaging. The problem of image quality degradation when imaging a radionuclide with multiple emissions (111-In, 123-I, 67-Ga), or when acquiring simultaneous dual isotope images, is considered in relation to the design of specific collimators. A Monte Carlo simulation of photon transport that accounts for penetration of and scatter in the collimator is discussed. One of the codes presented to face this problem has been adapted for use with the SIMIND Monte Carlo code. Another one combines a theoretical, Bayesian observer model with the Monte Carlo numerical tool. It would be useful to know ho...