Research on the Reduction of Exposure Dose of a Patient Having a PET/CT Exam

PET/CT 검사 환자의 피폭선량 경감을 위한 연구

Purpose: As the number of patients has increased since the installation of a PET/CT, we are now examining about 2500-3000 annually. We have realized that if we properly adjust a pitch under the same condition of a CT during a PET/CT exam, radiation quantity that reaches the patient can change. In order to reduce the exposure dose of a patient, the research examines a method of reducing the exposure dose of a patient by controlling the pitch during a PET/CT exam, viewing whether the adjustment of the pitch influences CT image and PET SUV. Methods: The equipment used is a Biograph Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner (CT type: TRCT-240-130 (WCT-240-130)) of Siemens company. For the evaluation of exposure dose of a patient, we measured radiation quantities using a PTW-DIADOS 11003/1383, which is a CT radiation measurement instrument used by Siemens. We measured and analyzed the space resolutions of CT images caused by the change of pitches using an AAPM Standard Phantom in order to see how the adjustment of pitches influenced the CT images. In addition, in order to obtain SUVs caused by each change of pitches using a PET source made with a solid radioactive cylinder phantom, we confirmed whether the SUVs changed in the PET/CT images by calculating the SUVs of the fusion images caused by the change of pitches after obtaining CT and PET images and finishing the test. Results: 2slice CT scanner showed that radiation quantities largely dropped when pitches ranged from 0.7 to 1.3 and that the reduction of radiation quantities were smaller when pitches ranged from 1.5 to 1.9. That is, we found that the bigger pitch values are the smaller the radiation quantities of a patient are. Moreover, we realized that there is no change of SUVs caused by the increase of pitches and that pitch values do not influence PET SUVs and the quality of CT images. It is judged that using 1.5 as a pitch value contributes to the reduction of exposure dose of a patient as long as there is no problem in the quality of an image. Conclusions: When seeing the result of the research, hospital using a PET/CT should make an effort to reduce the exposure dose of a patient seeking pitch values appropriate for their hospital within the range in which there is no image distortion and PET SUVs are not influenced from pitches. We think that the research can apply to all multi-detectors having a CT scanner and that such a research will be needed for other equipments in the future.

목적 : 환자의 피폭선량 감소를 위해 PET/CT검사 시Pitch를 조절하여 환자의 피폭선량을 줄일 수 있는 방법에 대해 고려해 보고 Pitch 조정이 CT 영상과 PET의 SUV값에 영향을 주어 변화가 있는지를 살펴 보고자 한다. 방법 : Siemens사의 Biograph Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner (CT 형식 : TRCT-240-130 (WCT-240-130)을 사용하였다. 환자의 피폭선량 평가로는 CT 조사선량 측정기인 PTW-DIADOS 11003/1383를 사용하여 선량을 측정하였고 Pitch 조정이 CT 영상에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위해 AAPM Standard Phantom을 이용하여 pitch 변화에 따른 CT 영상의 공간 분해능을 측정하여 비교하였다. 그리고, PET source consists of a solid radioactive cylinder phantom을 사용하여 Pitch 변화에 따른 Fusion 영상의 SUV값을 산출하여 PET/CT 영상에서 SUV값이 변하였는지 확인하였다. 결과 : 2slice CT scanner에서는 Pitch가 0.7~1.3까지는 방사선량이 크게 떨어지나 1.5~1.9까지는 방사선량의 감소가 작아졌으며 Pitch값이 커질수록 환자의 피폭선량이 작아지는 것을 알 수 있었다. 그리고 Pitch값의 증가에 따른 SUV값의 변화는 거의 없었으며. Pitch값이 PET SUV값에 영향을 주지 않는다는 것을 알 수 있었다. Pitch의 변화가 CT 영상에도 크게 영향을 주지 않는 것을 알 수 있었다. 결론 : 위의 결과로 PET/CT를 사용하는 병원은 영상의 왜곡이 없고 PET SUV값에 영향을 주지 않는 범위 내에서 각 병원에 맞는 Pitch값을 찾아서 환자의 피폭 경감을 위해 노력해야 할 것이다. 그리고 Multi-detector를 가진 CT scanner인 경우에 모두 해당 될 것이라 생각되며 향후 다른 장비에서도 이와 같은 실험이 필요하다 하겠다.