Comparison of deep learning-based emission-only attenuation correction methods for positron emission tomography.

Purpose: This study aims to compare two approaches using only emission PET data and a convolution neural network (CNN) to correct the attenuation (μ) of the annihilation photons in PET. Methods: One of the approaches uses a CNN to generate μ-maps from the non-attenuation-corrected (NAC) PET images (...

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Published in:European Journal of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 1833 - 1843
Main Authors: Hwang, Donghwi, Kang, Seung Kwan, Kim, Kyeong Yun, Choi, Hongyoon, Lee, Jae Sung
Format: Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature May2022
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: May2022
      vid: 49
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        10.1007/s00259-021-05637-0
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        atl: Comparison of deep learning-based emission-only attenuation correction methods for positron emission tomography.
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        au:
          Hwang, Donghwi
          Kang, Seung Kwan
          Kim, Kyeong Yun
          Choi, Hongyoon
          Lee, Jae Sung
        affil: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
      sug:
      ab: Purpose: This study aims to compare two approaches using only emission PET data and a convolution neural network (CNN) to correct the attenuation (μ) of the annihilation photons in PET. Methods: One of the approaches uses a CNN to generate μ-maps from the non-attenuation-corrected (NAC) PET images (μ-CNNNAC). In the other method, CNN is used to improve the accuracy of μ-maps generated using maximum likelihood estimation of activity and attenuation (MLAA) reconstruction (μ-CNNMLAA). We investigated the improvement in the CNN performance by combining the two methods (μ-CNNMLAA+NAC) and the suitability of μ-CNNNAC for providing the scatter distribution required for MLAA reconstruction. Image data from 18F-FDG (n = 100) or 68 Ga-DOTATOC (n = 50) PET/CT scans were used for neural network training and testing. Results: The error of the attenuation correction factors estimated using μ-CT and μ-CNNNAC was over 7%, but that of scatter estimates was only 2.5%, indicating the validity of the scatter estimation from μ-CNNNAC. However, CNNNAC provided less accurate bone structures in the μ-maps, while the best results in recovering the fine bone structures were obtained by applying CNNMLAA+NAC. Additionally, the μ-values in the lungs were overestimated by CNNNAC. Activity images (λ) corrected for attenuation using μ-CNNMLAA and μ-CNNMLAA+NAC were superior to those corrected using μ-CNNNAC, in terms of their similarity to λ-CT. However, the improvement in the similarity with λ-CT by combining the CNNNAC and CNNMLAA approaches was insignificant (percent error for lung cancer lesions, λ-CNNNAC = 5.45% ± 7.88%; λ-CNNMLAA = 1.21% ± 5.74%; λ-CNNMLAA+NAC = 1.91% ± 4.78%; percent error for bone cancer lesions, λ-CNNNAC = 1.37% ± 5.16%; λ-CNNMLAA = 0.23% ± 3.81%; λ-CNNMLAA+NAC = 0.05% ± 3.49%). Conclusion: The use of CNNNAC was feasible for scatter estimation to address the chicken-egg dilemma in MLAA reconstruction, but CNNMLAA outperformed CNNNAC.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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