担当区分：筆頭著者,　責任著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：IOP Publishing  

Abstract

Objective: Precise monitoring of the position and dwell time of iridium-192 (Ir-192) during high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is crucial to avoid serious damage to normal tissues. Source imaging using a compact gamma camera is a potential approach for monitoring. However, images from the gamma camera are affected by blurring and statistical noise, which impact the accuracy of source position monitoring. This study aimed to develop a deep-learning approach for estimating ideal source images that reduce the effect of blurring and statistical noise from experimental images captured using a compact gamma camera.
Approach: A double pix2pix model was trained using the simulated gamma camera images of an Ir-192 source. The first model was responsible for denoising the Ir-192 images, whereas the second model performed super resolution. Trained models were then applied to the experimental images to estimate the ideal images. 
Main results: At a distance of 100 mm between the compact gamma camera and the Ir-192 source, the difference in full width at half maximum (FWHM) between the estimated and actual source sizes was approximately 0.5 mm for a measurement time of 1.5 s. This difference has been improved from approximately 2.7 mm without the use of DL. Even with a measurement time of 0.1 s, the ideal images could be estimated as accurately as in the 1.5 s measurements. This method consistently achieved accurate estimations of the source images at any position within the field of view; however, the difference increased with the distance between the Ir-192 source and the compact gamma camera.
Significance: The proposed method successfully provided estimated images from the experimental images within errors smaller than 0.5 mm at 100 mm. This method is promising for reducing blurring and statistical noise from the experimental images, enabling precise real-time monitoring of Ir-192 sources during HDR brachytherapy.

DOI： 10.1088/2057-1976/ad0bb2

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：IOP Publishing  

Abstract

It is known that a lithium-6 (⁶Li) absorbs a neutron and is divided into a triton and an alpha particle. However, the trajectories of the produced tritons have not yet been imaged in real time and high resolution. We developed an ultrahigh-resolution imaging system that can clearly observe the trajectories of neutron induced particles in real time. The developed system is based on a magnifying unit and a cooled electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EM-CCD) camera combined with a ⁶Li plate and a Ce-doped Gd₃Al₂Ga₃O₁₂(GAGG) scintillator plate. Neutrons from a californium-252 (²⁵²Cf) source were irradiated to the ⁶Li plate, which produced tritons and alpha particles. The produced tritons or alpha particles entered the GAGG plate and produced scintillation light along the trajectories. The scintillation trajectories were magnified by the unit, light intensified, and imaged by the EM-CCD camera. Using our system, we could measure the elongated trajectory images of the particles in real time. Most of these trajectories had Bragg peak like shapes in the images. The average range was 15 μm and the width was 4.6 μm FWHM. From the ranges we estimated, we found that these trajectories could be attributed to the induced tritons. Consequently, the developed real time imaging system is promising for research on the ultrahigh resolution imaging of neutron produced particles.

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/18/10/t10002

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：IOP Publishing  

Abstract

High-resolution and real-time imaging of the trajectories of alpha particles is desired in nuclear medicine and nuclear engineering. Although an imaging method using a scintillator plate combined with a magnifying unit and a cooled electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EM-CCD) camera is a possible method of obtaining high-resolution trajectory images, the spatial resolution of the system is limited to ∼2 μm. To overcome the spatial resolution limitations of this method on trajectory imaging, we used a cooled complementally metal oxide (CMOS) camera in which the sensor had a much larger number of pixels, which were also smaller. Using the CMOS camera based imaging system, we could measure the trajectories of alpha particles in real time with the spatial resolution of 0.34 μm FWHM. With smoothing of the images to reduce image noise, spatial resolution was still kept to less than 0.75 μm. We conclude that this CMOS camera-based alpha-particle trajectory-imaging system is promising for alpha-particle or other particles imaging where ultrahigh spatial resolution is required.

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/18/10/t10003

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Elsevier BV  

DOI： 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.111084

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：IOP Publishing  

Abstract

High-resolution imaging of neutron induced particles is required in such methods as neutron radiography. However, the scintillation spots in a neutron-sensitive scintillator have not yet been imaged nor measured for size. We developed a high-resolution, real-time neutron induced particle imaging system for observing these particles' trajectories in a scintillator. The developed system is based on a magnifying unit and a cooled electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EM-CCD) camera combined with a lithium-containing silver-doped zinc sulfide (Li-ZnS(Ag)) scintillator plate. Neutrons from a californium-252 (²⁵²Cf) source were irradiated to the Li-ZnS(Ag) scintillator and imaged with the system. Using our system, we measured the scintillation spots of the neutron induced particles having different shapes in real time. In some of these measured scintillation spots, those with elliptical shapes were observed due to the trajectories of the particles in the scintillator. The spatial resolution calculated from the widths of the scintillation spots was ∼56 μm. Consequently, the developed imaging system is promising for research on neutron imaging that requires high spatial resolution.

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/18/06/t06009

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

Objective. Prompt x-ray imaging using a low-energy x-ray camera is a promising method for observing a proton beam's shape from outside the subject. Furthermore, imaging of positrons produced by nuclear reactions with protons is a possible method for observing the beam shape. However, it has not been possible to measure these two types of images with a single imaging system due to the limited imaging capability of existing systems. Imaging of both prompt x-rays and the distribution of positrons may compensate for the shortcomings of each method.Approach. We conducted imaging of the prompt x-ray using a pinhole x-ray camera during irradiation with protons in list mode. Then, after irradiation with protons, imaging of annihilation radiations from the produced positrons was conducted using the same pinhole x-ray camera in list mode. After this imaging, list-mode data were sorted to obtain prompt x-ray images and positron images.Main results. With the proposed procedure, we could measure both prompt x-ray images and induced positron images with a single irradiation by a proton beam. From the prompt x-ray images, ranges and widths of the proton beams could be estimated. The distributions of positrons were slightly wider than those of the prompt x-rays. From the time sequential positron images, we could derive the time activity curves of the produced positrons.Significance. Hybrid imaging of prompt x-rays and induced positrons using a pinhole x-ray camera was achieved. The proposed procedure would be useful for measuring prompt x-ray images during irradiation to estimate the beam structures as well as for measuring the induced positron images after irradiation to estimate the distributions and time activity curves of the induced positrons.

DOI： 10.1088/1361-6560/acd2a2

PubMed

担当区分：筆頭著者,　責任著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

DOI： 10.1007/s13246-023-01281-0

その他リンク： https://rdcu.be/ddcLy

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

Abstract

High-resolution imaging of alpha particles is required in the detection of alpha radionuclides in cells or small organs for the development of radio-compounds for targeted alpha-particle therapy or other purposes. We developed an ultrahigh resolution, real time alpha-particle imaging system for observing the trajectories of alpha particles in a scintillator. The developed system is based on a magnifying unit and a cooled electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EM-CCD) camera, combined with a 100-µm-thick Ce-doped Gd₃Al₂Ga₃O₁₂ (GAGG) scintillator plate. Alpha particles from an Am-241 source were irradiated to the GAGG scintillator and imaged with the system. Using our system, we measured the trajectories of the alpha particles having different shapes in real time. In some of these measured trajectories, the line shapes of the alpha particles that flew in the GAGG scintillator were clearly observed. The lateral profiles of the alpha-particle trajectories were imaged with widths of ~ 2 µm. We conclude that the developed imaging system is promising for research on targeted alpha-particle therapy or other alpha particle detections that require high spatial resolution.

DOI： 10.1038/s41598-023-31748-9

その他リンク： https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-31748-9

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Elsevier BV  

Purpose: Although real-time imaging of the high-activity iridium-192 (Ir-192) source position during high-dose -rate (HDR) brachytherapy using a high-energy gamma camera system is a promising approach, the energy window was not optimized for spatial resolution or scatter fraction.Methods: By using a list-mode data-acquisition system that can acquire energy information of a cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite (YA1O3: YAP(Ce)) gamma camera, we tried to optimize the energy window's setting to improve the spatial resolution and reduce scatter fraction.Results: The spatial resolution was highest for the central energy of the window at-300 keV. The scatter fraction was also smallest for the central energy of the window at-300 keV, and the scatter fraction was more than 48 % smaller than that for the full energy window.Conclusions: We clarified that the spatial resolution can be improved and the scatter fraction can be reduced through optimizing the energy window of the YAP(Ce) gamma camera by setting the central energy of the window to-300 keV for HDR brachytherapy.

DOI： 10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.09.017

Web of Science

担当区分：筆頭著者,　責任著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：IOP Publishing Ltd  

Abstract

Astatine-211 (At-211) is a promising alpha particle emitter for targeted radionuclide therapy. Since its daughter isotope (polonium-211(Po-211)) emits characteristic X-rays of about 80 keV, the distribution of At-211 in the body can be imaged by detecting the X-rays with a scintillation camera. However, the isotopes also emit high-energy gamma photons that are collimated with difficulty for a parallel-hole collimator of a clinical scintillation camera system, and thus the selection of a collimator is important. In this study, we compared the performances of low-energy high-resolution (LEHR), low-energy all-purpose (LEAP), medium-energy (ME), and high-energy (HE) parallel-hole collimators for At-211 using Monte Carlo simulation. We simulated a clinical scintillation camera system with the collimators using the Geant4 toolkit. The energy spectra, sensitivities, and spatial resolutions for the point source of At-211 were evaluated. Moreover, we simulated imaging of six sphere sources of At-211 in a 1-cm-thick cylindrical phantom filled with At-211 solution to evaluate image contrast. All of the results in this study are simulation data. The spatial resolution with LEHR was 7.6 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM) and the highest between collimators, while the sensitivity with LEAP was 85 cps/MBq and the highest. The image contrast acquired with the ME collimator was superior to those with the other collimators. We concluded that the LEHR, LEAP, and ME collimators had their advantages, so an optimum collimator should be selected depending on the purpose of imaging of At-211, although there was no advantage in using the HE collimator for the imaging of At-211.

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/17/10/T10007

Web of Science

その他リンク： https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-0221/17/10/T10007/pdf

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Wiley  

Purpose Measurement of the dwell time and moving speed of a high-activity iridium-192 (Ir-192) source used for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is important for estimating the precise dose delivery to a tumor. For this purpose, we used a cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite (YA1O(3):YAP(Ce)) gamma camera system, combined with a list-mode data acquisition system that can acquire short-time sequential images, and measured the dwell times and moving speeds of the Ir-192 source. Methods Gamma photon imaging was conducted using the gamma camera in list mode for the Ir-192 source of HDR brachytherapy with fixed dwell times and positions. The acquired list-mode images were sorted to millisecond-order interval time sequential images to evaluate the dwell time at each position. Time count rate curves were derived to calculate the dwell time at each source position and moving speed of the source. Results We could measure the millisecond-order time sequential images for the Ir-192 source. The measured times for the preset dwell times of 2 s and 10 s were 1.98 to 2.00 s full width at half maximum (FWHM) and 10.0 s FWHM, respectively. The dwell times at the first dwell position were larger than those at other positions. We also measured the moving speeds of the source after the dwells while moving back to the afterloader and found the speed increased with the distance from the edge of the field of view to the last dwell position. Conclusion We conclude that millisecond-order time sequential imaging of the Ir-192 source is possible by using a gamma camera and is useful for evaluating the dwell times and moving speeds of the Ir-192 source.

DOI： 10.1002/mp.15957

Web of Science

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：IOP Publishing  

Abstract

In high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, verification of an Ir-192 source's position during treatment is required. One of the methods for this used a high-energy pinhole gamma camera to image the position of the source, but the absolute position of the source cannot be measured. To confirm the absolute position, it will be useful to acquire the transmission image of a subject in addition to the gamma photon image at the same time without using an additional X-ray system. To measure the transmission images, we tried to use the high-energy gamma photons emitted from the Ir-192 source used for the therapy. We developed a high-energy gamma photon imaging system composed of 1-mm-thick Pr doped Gd₂O₂S (GOS), a surface mirror, and a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The developed imaging system achieved transmission imaging of high-energy gamma photons by transporting the Ir-192 source in front of the imaging system. The spatial resolution of the imaging system was better than 2.4 mm FWHM with and without a 10-cm-thick acrylic block set between the imaging system and the source. Moderate spatial resolution and contrast images of phantoms were obtained with the system. For the dynamic imaging mode, continuous images of the phantoms were measured with 1-sec intervals. There was no observable difference in the transmission images by the movement of the Ir-192 source. Transmission imaging of subjects using an Ir-192 source for HDR brachytherapy could be achieved using our developed imaging system. The system offers a new method to measure the real-time transmission images of the subject during HDR brachytherapy.

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/17/06/t06009

その他リンク： https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-0221/17/06/T06009/pdf

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology  

Imaging of 14C outside of the subject is considered to be difficult because it is a radionuclide that emits only low-energy beta particles. However, we found that bremsstrahlung X-rays form 14C could be imaged from outside of subjects and is thus applicable to in vivo small animal imaging. We developed a high-resolution low-energy X-ray imaging system using a (Gd, La)2Si2O7:Ce(La-GPS) plate combined with a flat panel photomultiplier tube (FP-PMT) for in vivo imaging of a mouse to detect the X-rays from a 14C solution administered. Without using a parallel hole collimator, accumulated 14C in the mouse’s abdomen was imaged in 1 min and dynamic in vivo imaging was possible although the spatial resolution was moderate. With a parallel hole collimator, 14C in the abdomen was obtained with a higher spatial resolution with a 60-min acquisition time. We conclude that in vivo imaging of 14C is possible by using the developed high-resolution La-GPS imaging system and may be promising for molecular imaging research.

DOI： 10.1080/00223131.2022.2050319

Web of Science

Scopus

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（国際会議プロシーディングス）   出版者・発行元：IEEE  

DOI： 10.1109/nss/mic44867.2021.9875591

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Applied Radiation and Isotopes  

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful tool because we can acquire functional information of tissue from the images with high sensitivity and relatively high spatial resolution. However, high-spatial-resolution PET imaging for high-energy positron emitters is difficult because the positrons have a long range and annihilation radiations are emitted at the endpoints of the positrons’ trajectories. Along the trajectories, Cerenkov light (CL) is also emitted in advance of the emission of annihilation radiations. Hence, CL can be used for the imaging of high-energy positron emitters. Bremsstrahlung X-rays are also emitted along the trajectories of positrons, and imaging is possible. However, the differences in the spatial distributions of these three types of radiations are not obvious. Because CL and bremsstrahlung X-rays are produced before the endpoint of the positron, high-spatial-resolution imaging may be possible for high-energy positrons. In this study, to clarify this point, we simulated the spatial distribution of CL, bremsstrahlung X-rays, and annihilation radiations using Monte Carlo simulation and compared the distributions. The distributions of the bremsstrahlung X-rays and CL were smaller than those of the annihilation radiations in case of high energy positrons, and we found that the distributions of bremsstrahlung X-rays nearly matched those of CL for high-energy positron emitters. We concluded that CL and bremsstrahlung X-ray imaging have higher spatial resolution than annihilation radiation imaging for MeV ordered positron emitters, and thus they are promising for high-spatial-resolution imaging of high-energy positron emitters such as O-15 for ion therapy and Ga-68 for PET imaging.

DOI： 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109861

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Journal of Instrumentation  

One of the applications of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) is myocardial imaging. Myocardial perfusion imaging with PET (MPI-PET) is gradually becoming an alternative to MPI-SPECT due to its higher image quality. Although Rb-82 is the most common tracer for MPI-PET, Rb-82 emits high-energy positrons with a long stopping range, resulting in blurring of the spatial resolution of the PET image. Due to the limitations of spatial resolution, imaging of Rb-82 in mice has not been reported. In this study, we propose a new method to achieve higher resolution imaging of Rb-82 in small animals than possible with PET imaging by detecting bremsstrahlung X-rays emitted by the positrons, and we validated the feasibility of this method using Monte Carlo simulation. We simulated a small field of view (FOV) pinhole X-ray camera based on a thin YAlO3:Ce (YAP(Ce)) plate and analyzed the basic performance of the simulated camera for bremsstrahlung X-rays. The spatial resolution of a 0.5 mm-thick YAP(Ce) plate-based camera with a 1.0 mm pinhole collimator was 2.6 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM) at a distance of 17.5 mm from the surface of the collimator. Furthermore, we simulated imaging of a mouse heart phantom filled with Rb-82 of 67 MBq per milliliter. We observed the shape of the phantom in the image for a 10 - 45 keV energy window in a simulated measurement time of 4 minutes. We conclude that imaging of high-energy positron emitters at a higher resolution than by PET imaging is possible through detection of the bremsstrahlung X-rays emitted from the positrons.

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/16/08/t08005

Web of Science

Scopus

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：Applied Radiation and Isotopes  

Since Ce-doped YAlO3 (YAP(Ce)) scintillators have small non-proportionality, it is useful to develop a radiation imaging detector for low-energy gamma photons or X-rays. However, the YAP(Ce) performance with different Ce concentrations remains unclear. Consequently, we measured the basic performance of YAP(Ce) plates with different Ce concentrations. We used three types of YAP(Ce) scintillator plates with different Ce concentrations: 0.05% Ce, 1% Ce, and 2% Ce. The YAP(Ce) plates were 10 mm × 10 mm x 0.5 mm. We measured and compared the energy spectra, the decay times, the α-γ ratio, and the non-proportionality. We also evaluated the relation between these performances and the Ce concentrations. The light output of a YAP(Ce) showed positive correlation with the Ce concentrations, and the decay time of the YAP(Ce) showed a negative correlation with them. The energy resolution slightly improved for a YAP(Ce) with higher Ce concentrations. We found the α-γ ratio were slightly larger for higher Ce concentrations. The YAP(Ce) plate with a 2% Ce had the highest light output and the best energy resolution as well as the shortest decay time. Based on these results, the YAP(Ce) plate with a concentration of 2% Ce is a better selection for the development of radiation detectors or radiation imaging detectors for low-energy gamma photons or X-rays as well as alpha particles.

DOI： 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109483

Scopus

PubMed

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1002/mp.14455

Web of Science

Scopus

PubMed

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109136

Web of Science

PubMed

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：{IOP} Publishing  

Tritium (H-3) is a pure beta-emitting radionuclide and beta particles have extremely low energy (maximum energy: 18.6 keV). Thus the in-vivo imaging of H-3 is thought to be impossible. However, beta particles emit bremsstrahlung X-rays in subjects that may be imaged from outside of the subjects. We tried to image the bremsstrahlung X-rays from H-3 water using a newly developed radiation imaging system. The developed imaging system used a pixelated Ce-doped (Gd, La)2Si2O7 (LaGPS) scintillator plate optically coupled to a flat-panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (FP-PMT). Using the imaging system, we conducted bremsstrahlung X-ray imaging from H-3 water in a plastic bag with 37-MBq radioactivity. We obtained tungsten slit mask images with a spatial resolution of ∼3 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM). The energy spectrum of the bremsstrahlung X-rays from the H-3 water showed a broad distribution with an average energy of ∼10 keV. The measured sensitivities of the LaGPS imaging system for bremsstrahlung X-rays from H-3 water in a plastic bag were 1.8 × 10-7. We conclude that the imaging of bremsstrahlung X-rays from H-3 water was really possible and it has a potential to be a new method for the in-vivo H-3 imaging of small animals, plants, or materials.

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/15/04/p04006

Scopus

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）   出版者・発行元：{IOP} Publishing  

DOI： 10.1088/1748-0221/14/10/p10013

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1109/trpms.2018.2876410

Web of Science

記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1088/2057-1976/ab12bd

Web of Science

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1016/j.nima.2017.10.052

Web of Science

Scopus

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1088/2057-1976/aa635e

Web of Science

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1016/j.nima.2017.08.013

Web of Science

Scopus

担当区分：筆頭著者   記述言語：英語   掲載種別：研究論文（学術雑誌）  

DOI： 10.1016/j.nima.2016.09.014

Web of Science

Scopus