Digirad introduces new cardiac SPECT reconstruction tool
Digirad Corporation introduced its nSPEED, an advanced three-dimensional SPECT image reconstruction technique, today at SNM 2007 in Washington, D.C. This advanced algorithm is designed to provide clinicians with significant image quality improvement over existing 2D reconstruction techniques by providing clearer and more accurate images.
nSPEED models the depth-dependent point response function in an iterative reconstruction algorithm (OSEM), enabling depth-dependent resolution recovery and improving chamber contrast in cardiac SPECT images. Such improvement may further enable the reduction of acquisition time while maintaining image quality as compared to conventional reconstruction without depth-dependent resolution recovery, while adhering to American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) imaging guidelines.
Digirad hopes to obtain ASNC and other society acceptance in order to meet accreditation requirements.
Preliminary studies of nSPEED have resulted in equivalent diagnostic quality for stress and rest images with reliable function quantitation measurements from gated stress images and reliable quantitation of perfusion defect severity on stress and rest images.
"Our next step is to conduct multi-center study that will seek to demonstrate that nSPEED offers the opportunity to cut the acquisition time for cardiac SPECT studies in half while maintaining equivalent or better clinical results than those produced by 2D reconstruction techniques," said Mark Casner, president and CEO. "We believe that with nSPEED, Digirad's Cardius 3 XPO triple-head cameras will be able to perform a four minute rest study and a three minute stress study, increasing throughput and decreasing patient motion and patient imaging time."
nSPEED models the depth-dependent point response function in an iterative reconstruction algorithm (OSEM), enabling depth-dependent resolution recovery and improving chamber contrast in cardiac SPECT images. Such improvement may further enable the reduction of acquisition time while maintaining image quality as compared to conventional reconstruction without depth-dependent resolution recovery, while adhering to American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) imaging guidelines.
Digirad hopes to obtain ASNC and other society acceptance in order to meet accreditation requirements.
Preliminary studies of nSPEED have resulted in equivalent diagnostic quality for stress and rest images with reliable function quantitation measurements from gated stress images and reliable quantitation of perfusion defect severity on stress and rest images.
"Our next step is to conduct multi-center study that will seek to demonstrate that nSPEED offers the opportunity to cut the acquisition time for cardiac SPECT studies in half while maintaining equivalent or better clinical results than those produced by 2D reconstruction techniques," said Mark Casner, president and CEO. "We believe that with nSPEED, Digirad's Cardius 3 XPO triple-head cameras will be able to perform a four minute rest study and a three minute stress study, increasing throughput and decreasing patient motion and patient imaging time."