Minimisation of Acquisition Time in a TOF PET/CT Scanner Without Compromising Image Quality

Significant improvements have been made in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to enhance the image quality, namely, the development of time-of-flight (TOF) technology. This technique is useful to localize the emission point of the beta plus-emitter (beta(+)) radiopharmaceutical inside the body, allowing better lesion contrast and leading to a short scan time. The main goal of this study is to investigate the shortest acquisition time without compromising the image quality in both a NEMA body phantom and patients, using a TOF PET/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scanner and the radionuclide Gallium-68 (Ga-68). Image quality parameters and quantification in terms of standardized uptake value (SUV) were acquired. A time between 45 and 60 s per bed position is proposed for future clinical practices.