Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine
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The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 2-2001 performance measurements were conducted on the Discovery RX, a whole-body PET/CT system under development by GE Healthcare. The PET scanner uses 4.2 x 6.3 x 30 mm lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) crystals grouped in 9 x 6 blocks. There are 24 rings with 630 crystals per ring and the ring diameter is 88.6 cm. The transaxial and axial fields of view are 70.0 and 15.7 cm, respectively. The scanner has retractable septa and can operate in both 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) modes. 2D acquisitions use ring differences of +/-4 for direct and +/-5 for cross slices; 3D acquisitions use a ring difference of 23. The coincident window width is 6.5 ns and the energy window is 425-650 keV. Other than the detectors, the system uses the same hardware and software as a Discovery ST. The CT scanner is a 16-slice LightSpeed; the performance characteristics of the CT component are not included herein. ⋯ The Discovery RX is a scanner that possesses high NECR, low scatter fraction, and good spatial resolution characteristics.
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White blood cell scanning with (99m)Tc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) has proven highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with suspected osteomyelitis. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the usefulness of SPECT and transmission CT performed simultaneously using a hybrid imaging device for the functional anatomic mapping of bone and joint infections. ⋯ Our results indicate that SPECT/CT performed using a hybrid device can improve imaging with (99m)Tc-HMPAO-labeled leukocytes in patients with suspected osteomyelitis by providing accurate anatomic localization and precise definition of the extent of infection.