MCCCD Official Course Competencies:

DMI260AA  2006 Spring – 2009 Summer II

Nuclear Medicine Theory I: Part A

1.

Explain the radioactive decay processes and the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter. (I)

2.

Discuss the components, features, operation, application, maintenance and quality control of selected non-imaging and imaging devices of gas-filled detector and scintillation detection systems. (II, III)

3.

Perform specific calculations associated with gas-filled detector and scintillation detection systems to include gain settings, percent resolution from a full width at half of maximum (FWHM) calculation and well counter efficiency. (I, II)

4.

Apply knowledge of statistics to the operation and maintenance of nuclear medicine non-imaging and imaging instrumentation. (IV, V)

5.

Describe the various rotators and shakers that may be used in a nuclear medicine laboratory. (VI)

6.

Describe the calibration procedures for lab equipment to include the centrifuge, pH meter, analytical balance, selected pipetting devices and a multi-channel analyzer. (VI)

7.

Discuss the components, features, operation, application, maintenance and quality control of selected cameras and detector systems used in nuclear medicine to include planar scintillation cameras, multicrystal cameras, solid state detector systems. (VII, VIII, IX)

8.

Discuss basic design, principles, functions, operation, maintenance, advantages and disadvantages of selected imaging systems. (X, XI)

MCCCD Official Course Outline:

DMI260AA  2006 Spring – 2009 Summer II

Nuclear Medicine Theory I: Part A

I. Introduction/Review

A. Radioactive decay process

B. Interaction of ionizing radiation

C. Exposure and exposure rate

II. Gas-Filled Detector Systems

A. Principles of operation

B. Ion chambers

1. Dose calibrators

a. operation

b. quality control

(1). geometry

(2). linearity

(3). accuracy

(4). precision

(5). constancy

2. Cutie-pie

a. deadtime

b. accuracy

c. appropriate uses

d. calibration (quality control)

C. Proportional counters

D. Geiger-Muller counter (survey meter)

1. Deadtime

2. Accuracy

3. Appropriate uses

4. Quality control

III. Scintillation Detection Systems

A. History and development of detector systems

1. Scientists involved in development of scintillation detector systems

2. Overview of rectilinear scanners

3. Timeline of historical development

B. Solid scintillation detector (well counter and uptake probes)

1. Principles of operation

2. Component parts

a. crystal

b. photmultiplier tubes

c. high-voltage power

d. amplification

(1). preamplification

(2). gain setting

e. pulse-height analyzer

(1). single channel

(2). multichannel

f. counters, timers, ratemeters

g. uptake probe collimator

3. Energy resolution and full width at half of maximum (FWHM)

4. Energy calibration

5. Deadtime versus activity

6. Efficiency

7. Pulse height analyzer window determination

8. Effects of geometry

9. Quality control

C. Liquid scintillation systems

1. Principle of operation

2. Quench correction methods

3. Use of liquid scintillation systems

D. Gamma probe

1. Operating characteristics

2. Clinical uses

3. Quality control

E. New detection systems

IV. Statistics

A. Systematic and random error

B. Precision and accuracy

C. Percent error and percent difference

D. Average value and standard deviation

E. Frequency distributions

F. Mean, median, and mode

G. Discrete and continuous distribution

H. Curve fitting

1. Linear interpolation

2. Linear regression

3. Logit log

V. Nuclear Counting Statistics

A. Poisson distribution

B. Gaussian distribution

C. Standard deviation and coefficient of variation

D. Confidence levels

E. Propagation of errors

F. Application of statistical analysis

1. Chi-square

2. t-test

VI. Laboratory Equipment

A. Rotators/shakers

B. Centrifuge

C. pH meter

D. Thermometers

E. Balances

F. Pipettes and automatic pipettors

G. Waterbaths and refrigerators/freezers

H. Ultrasonic mixer

I. Microscope

1. multichannel analyzer

2. quality control

VII. Planar Scintillation Cameras

A. Basic principles-system configurations

1. Collimator

a. Geometric characteristics

(1). resolution

(2). efficiency

b. Selection considerations

2. Crystal

a. resolution

b. efficiency

3. Light pipe

4. Photmultiplier tubes

a. cathode

b. dynode

c. anode

d. electron multiplication

5. Positioning circuitry

6. Ratio circuits

7. Summation circuitry

8. Pulse-height analyzer

a. window width

b. centerline versus non-symmetrical window

c. z-pulse

9. Scalers and ratemeters

10. Image display and recording

a. Cathode ray tubes

(1). phosphor

(2). dot size

(3). astigmatism

(4). color

(5). photographic scope

(6). persistence scope

b. Film

(1). radiographic

(2). carbon-based

c. Multiformat imagers

(1). description of systems

(2). image production

(3). quality control

d. Video formatters

(1). requirements

(2). special features

(3). quality control

e. Laser printers

f. Color paper printers

11. Whole-body systems

12. Mobile camera systems

B. Performance characteristics

1. Collimators - Types

a. parallel-hole

b. Low energy all purpose (LEAP) or general all purpose (GAP)

c. High resolution

d. Ultra high resolution

e. Medium energy

f. High energy (511 keV)

g. High sensitivity

(1). diverging/converging

(2). pinhole

(3). slant-hole

(4). fan-beam

2. Collimators - Characteristics

a. spatial resolution

b. sensitivity

c. field of view

d. image size (magnification/minification)

e. image distortion

f. energy characteristics

3. Camera

a. spatial resolution

b. sensitivity

c. linearity

d. uniformity

(1). specifications (differential/integral)

(2). factors afftecting uniformity

(3). uniformity versus intrinsic resolution

e. energy resolution

f. dead-time

g. count density

h. image contrast

VIII. Multicrystal Scintillation Cameras

A. Principles of operation

B. Performance characteristics

1. spatial resolution

2. sensitivity

3. uniformity

4. energy calibration

5. counting rate

IX. Solid State Detector System

A. Principles of operation

B. Crystal characteristics

C. Comparison to Anger camera performance

X. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

A. Basic designs and principles

1. orbit design

2. collimator design

3. multihead systems

4. attenuation correction

B. Acquisition parameters

C. Factors that limit statistics

D. Reconstruction

1. Simple backprojection

2. Reconstruction parameters

a. center of rotation correction

b. uniformity correction

c. attenuation correction

d. filters and filter selection

e. attenuation correction with external transmission sources

f. motion correction and sinograms

3. radiopharmaceutical dose limits

4. time restraints

5. source-to-detector distance

6. attenuation

7. matrix size and linear sampling

8. degrees of rotation

9. number of projections (angular sampling)

10. time per projection

11. time per acquisition

XI. Quality Control of Imaging Systems

A. Planar Scintillation Camera

1. Flood uniformity

2. Image size and shape (x,y, gain settings)

3. Spatial resolution

4. Linearity

5. Sensitivity

6. Window calibration

7. Environmental contorl

8. Intrinsic versus extrinsic measurements

9. Cathode ray tube

a. focus

b. astigmatism

10. Collimator

a. septal penetration

b. damage detection

B. Whole-body imagers

C. SPECT systems

1. Center of rotation

a. procedure

b. frequency

2. Uniformity

a. intrinsic

b. total system

c. acceptable limits

d. frequency

3. Resolution

a. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) phantom studies

b. Frequency

4. Table detector

5. Pixel sizing related to matrix size and zoom

6. Intrinsic and extrinsic FWHM

7. Head alignment on multiple head units

D. Photographic devices

1. Image formatters

2. Laser printers

3. Color printers