PET/MRI attenuation correction

Accurate attenuation correction is necessary to obtain quantitative PET images. In clinical practice, attenuation maps are usually derived from a low-dose CT scan or a PET transmission scan using a rotating source. In combined PET/MRI these methods will most likely not be used. In our group two approaches are investigated to derive the attenuation coefficient at 511 keV. The first approach uses special MR sequences (UTE) in combination with segmentation techniques to derive an attenuation map. In another approach we try to derive the attenuation map from a transmission scan using an annulus shaped transmission source inside the Field-of-View (FOV) of the PET scanner.

Researchers: Pieter Mollet, Vincent Keereman, Ester D’Hoe.