Protocol for Evaluation of Quarter-Time Cardiac Imaging: 5-Minutes Rest and 3-Minutes Stress Wide Beam Reconstruction (WBR) Versus Full-Time Filtered Back Projection (FBP)

A new, innovative software image processing method, wide beam reconstruction (WBR), utilizes resolution recovery and incorporates Poisson noise-reduction into the reconstruction process of NM images. This method facilitates the reconstruction of low count density myocardial perfusion SPECT images. Preliminary research indicates that SPECT acquisition time consequently can be reduced by 60% (less than 5 minutes) for rest and by 75% (just over 3 minutes) for stress, while tomographic image quality is maintained, or even improved. Such a decrease in image acquisition time decreases patient discomfort during the tomographic acquisition, decreases the opportunity for patient motion, and improves laboratory efficiency.

Standard full-time SPECT will be processed using FBP and compared to 3-minute stress and 5-minute rest scans processed with WBR. The following scan parameters will be evaluated: image quality; perfusion defect extent, severity, and reversibility; transient ischemic dilatation; left ventricular end-diastolic volume; left ventricular end-systolic volume; left ventricular ejection fraction; and regional wall motion and wall thickening abnormalities. These parameters will be assessed visually by experienced Nuclear physicians (at least 2 blinded readers) and quantitatively using several different commercially available software programs.