Analytical System Modeling Method for SPECT Based on the Boltzmann Transport Equation

Abstract：

In single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), accurately modeling of the physics of SPECT imaging process is essential to degrading factor compensation and image quality enhancement. In this paper, an analytical SPECT modeling method is proposed based on the theory of the Boltzmann transport equation and its Neumann series solution. The analytical model was numerically evaluated using high dimensional integration algorithm based on number theory. SPECT projection images for both uniform cylinder phantom with point source and NCAT phantom were calculated and compared with those which were generated by conventional Monte-Carlo modeling methods. Results show that the analytical modeling method demonstrates improved performance in computation accuracy and speed relative to the Monte-Carlo method, as well as the advantage that the computational results of the analytical method are free from statistical noise. Therefore, we conclude that the analytical method is more appropriate for modeling the SPECT imaging process than Monte-Carlo modeling methods.