PET procedures and forms
The quality control program for PET assures proper operation of all of the detector blocks and the accuracy of quantitation. Daily "blank" scans are acquired for 20 minutes to evaluate the operation of the detector blocks. This scan will be normalized by a reference blank scan that was acquired immediately after the last performed normalization and calibration. The adequacy of the activity calibration will be tested weekly by imaging the cylindrical calibration phantom with a known activity concentration. After applying calculated attenuation correction, the average activity concentration determined from the PET image data will be compared to the known, decay-corrected value. This value should be within 5%. The Data Spectrum cylindrical phantom with hot rod and cold sphere inserts will be imaged quarterly. The following evaluations will be performed annually: transverse and axial resolution, sensitivity, count rate performance, and uniformity. These tests will be performed in both 2D and 3D mode.
The CT portion of the PET-CT scanner will be evaluated according to the procedures prescribed for stand-alone CT scanners. The following is evaluated on a quarterly basis: uniformity and noise, spatial resolution, low contrast resolution and absorbed dose from a specified procedure. Data Communication: All of our imaging equipment, both PET and SPECT, are reviewed on display stations located in the nuclear medicine reading room. Since the original data is generated on a variety of acquisition workstations, it is imperative to assure the integrity of data communication. On a weekly basis, a sampling of data generated on each acquisition workstation will be compared to that displayed on the review display workstation. Quarterly, a random sample of 20 patient studies will be retrieved from archive to test its reliability.
The PET form is completed annually at each site by the PET physicist. See form.
Contact person
Frederic Fahey, DSc
617-355-2809