Digital image processing

Image (mathematics)

Radiology

Magnetic resonance imaging

Artificial intelligence

Medical physics

Dynamic imaging

Standardized uptake value

Positron emission tomography

Whole body imaging

Nuclear medicine

Computer science

Medicine

Image processing

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging

In this article, we discuss dynamic whole-body (DWB) positron emission tomography (PET) as an imaging tool with significant clinical potential, in relation to conventional standard uptake value (SUV) imaging. DWB PET involves dynamic data acquisition over an extended axial range, capturing tracer kinetic information that is not available with conventional static acquisition protocols. The method can be performed within reasonable clinical imaging times, and enables generation of multiple types of PET images with complementary information in a single imaging session. Importantly, DWB PET can be used to produce multi-parametric images of (i) Patlak slope (influx rate) and (ii) intercept (referred to sometimes as “distribution volume”), while also providing (iii) a conventional ‘SUV-equivalent’ image for certain protocols. We provide an overview of ongoing efforts (primarily focused on FDG PET) and discuss potential clinically relevant applications. Overall, the framework of DWB imaging [applicable to both PET/CT(computed tomography) and PET/MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)] generates quantitative measures that may add significant value to conventional SUV image-derived measures, with limited pitfalls as we also discuss in this work.

Dynamic whole-body PET imaging: principles, potentials and applications