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Miller RJH, Slomka PJ. Current status and future directions in artificial intelligence for nuclear cardiology. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther 2024:1-12. [PMID: 39001698 DOI: 10.1080/14779072.2024.2380764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is one of the most commonly ordered cardiac imaging tests. Accurate motion correction, image registration, and reconstruction are critical for high-quality imaging, but this can be technically challenging and has traditionally relied on expert manual processing. With accurate processing, there is a rich variety of clinical, stress, functional, and anatomic data that can be integrated to guide patient management. AREAS COVERED PubMed and Google Scholar were reviewed for articles related to artificial intelligence in nuclear cardiology published between 2020 and 2024. We will outline the prominent roles for artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to provide motion correction, image registration, and reconstruction. We will review the role for AI in extracting anatomic data for hybrid MPI which is otherwise neglected. Lastly, we will discuss AI methods to integrate the wealth of data to improve disease diagnosis or risk stratification. EXPERT OPINION There is growing evidence that AI will transform the performance of MPI by automating and improving on aspects of image acquisition and reconstruction. Physicians and researchers will need to understand the potential strengths of AI in order to benefit from the full clinical utility of MPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J H Miller
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine), Biomedical Sciences, and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Cardiac Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Piotr J Slomka
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine), Biomedical Sciences, and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Lim S, Park YJ, Lee SJ, An YS, Yoon JK. Clinical Feasibility of Deep Learning-Based Attenuation Correction Models for Tl-201 Myocardial Perfusion SPECT. Clin Nucl Med 2024; 49:397-403. [PMID: 38409758 DOI: 10.1097/rlu.0000000000005129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE We aimed to develop deep learning (DL)-based attenuation correction models for Tl-201 myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) images and evaluate their clinical feasibility. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease. We proposed a DL-based image-to-image translation technique to transform non-attenuation-corrected images into CT-based attenuation-corrected (CT AC ) images. The model was trained using a modified U-Net with structural similarity index (SSIM) loss and mean squared error (MSE) loss and compared with other models. Segment-wise analysis using a polar map and visual assessment for the generated attenuation-corrected (GEN AC ) images were also performed to evaluate clinical feasibility. RESULTS This study comprised 657 men and 328 women (age, 65 ± 11 years). Among the various models, the modified U-Net achieved the highest performance with an average mean absolute error of 0.003, an SSIM of 0.990, and a peak signal-to-noise ratio of 33.658. The performance of the model was not different between the stress and rest datasets. In the segment-wise analysis, the myocardial perfusion of the inferior wall was significantly higher in GEN AC images than in the non-attenuation-corrected images in both the rest and stress test sets ( P < 0.05). In the visual assessment of patients with diaphragmatic attenuation, scores of 4 (similar to CT AC images) or 5 (indistinguishable from CT AC images) were assigned to most GEN AC images (65/68). CONCLUSIONS Our clinically feasible DL-based attenuation correction models can replace the CT-based method in Tl-201 MPS, and it would be useful in case SPECT/CT is unavailable for MPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjoo Lim
- From the Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University, Seoul
| | - Yong-Jin Park
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Su Jin Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Young-Sil An
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Joon-Kee Yoon
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
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Kawakubo M, Nagao M, Kaimoto Y, Nakao R, Yamamoto A, Kawasaki H, Iwaguchi T, Matsuo Y, Kaneko K, Sakai A, Sakai S. Deep learning approach using SPECT-to-PET translation for attenuation correction in CT-less myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging. Ann Nucl Med 2024; 38:199-209. [PMID: 38151588 PMCID: PMC10884131 DOI: 10.1007/s12149-023-01889-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deep learning approaches have attracted attention for improving the scoring accuracy in computed tomography-less single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In this study, we proposed a novel deep learning approach referring to positron emission tomography (PET). The aims of this study were to analyze the agreement of representative voxel values and perfusion scores of SPECT-to-PET translation model-generated SPECT (SPECTSPT) against PET in 17 segments according to the American Heart Association (AHA). METHODS This retrospective study evaluated the patient-to-patient stress, resting SPECT, and PET datasets of 71 patients. The SPECTSPT generation model was trained (stress: 979 image pairs, rest: 987 image pairs) and validated (stress: 421 image pairs, rest: 425 image pairs) using 31 cases of SPECT and PET image pairs using an image-to-image translation network. Forty of 71 cases of left ventricular base-to-apex short-axis images were translated to SPECTSPT in the stress and resting state (stress: 1830 images, rest: 1856 images). Representative voxel values of SPECT and SPECTSPT in the 17 AHA segments against PET were compared. The stress, resting, and difference scores of 40 cases of SPECT and SPECTSPT were also compared in each of the 17 segments. RESULTS For AHA 17-segment-wise analysis, stressed SPECT but not SPECTSPT voxel values showed significant error from PET at basal anterior regions (segments #1, #6), and at mid inferoseptal regions (segments #8, #9, and #10). SPECT, but not SPECTSPT, voxel values at resting state showed significant error at basal anterior regions (segments #1, #2, and #6), and at mid inferior regions (segments #8, #9, and #11). Significant SPECT overscoring was observed against PET in basal-to-apical inferior regions (segments #4, #10, and #15) during stress. No significant overscoring was observed in SPECTSPT at stress, and only moderate over and underscoring in the basal inferior region (segment #4) was found in the resting and difference states. CONCLUSIONS Our PET-supervised deep learning model is a new approach to correct well-known inferior wall attenuation in SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging. As standalone SPECT systems are used worldwide, the SPECTSPT generation model may be applied as a low-cost and practical clinical tool that provides powerful auxiliary information for the diagnosis of myocardial blood flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masateru Kawakubo
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Michinobu Nagao
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
| | - Yoko Kaimoto
- Department of Radiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Risako Nakao
- Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Yamamoto
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan
- Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Advanced Information Technology, Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takafumi Iwaguchi
- Department of Advanced Information Technology, Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuka Matsuo
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan
| | - Koichiro Kaneko
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan
| | - Akiko Sakai
- Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuji Sakai
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan
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AlJaroudi WA, Hage FG. Review of cardiovascular imaging in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology 2022: single photon emission computed tomography. J Nucl Cardiol 2023; 30:452-478. [PMID: 36797458 DOI: 10.1007/s12350-023-03216-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we will summarize a selection of articles on single-photon emission computed tomography published in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology in 2022. The aim of this review is to concisely recap major advancements in the field to provide the reader a glimpse of the research published in the journal over the last year. This review will place emphasis on myocardial perfusion imaging using single-photon emission computed tomography summarizing advances in the field including in prognosis, non-perfusion variables, attenuation compensation, machine learning and camera design. It will also review nuclear imaging advances in amyloidosis, left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony, cardiac innervation, and lung perfusion. We encourage interested readers to go back to the original articles, and editorials, for a comprehensive read as necessary but hope that this yearly review will be helpful in reminding readers of articles they have seen and attracting their attentions to ones they have missed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wael A AlJaroudi
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Fadi G Hage
- Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, GSB 446, 1900 University BLVD, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
- Section of Cardiology, Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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Piri R, Edenbrandt L, Larsson M, Enqvist O, Skovrup S, Iversen KK, Saboury B, Alavi A, Gerke O, Høilund-Carlsen PF. "Global" cardiac atherosclerotic burden assessed by artificial intelligence-based versus manual segmentation in 18F-sodium fluoride PET/CT scans: Head-to-head comparison. J Nucl Cardiol 2022; 29:2531-2539. [PMID: 34386861 DOI: 10.1007/s12350-021-02758-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artificial intelligence (AI) is known to provide effective means to accelerate and facilitate clinical and research processes. So in this study it was aimed to compare a AI-based method for cardiac segmentation in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans with manual segmentation to assess global cardiac atherosclerosis burden. METHODS A trained convolutional neural network (CNN) was used for cardiac segmentation in 18F-sodium fluoride PET/CT scans of 29 healthy volunteers and 20 angina pectoris patients and compared with manual segmentation. Parameters for segmented volume (Vol) and mean, maximal, and total standardized uptake values (SUVmean, SUVmax, SUVtotal) were analyzed by Bland-Altman Limits of Agreement. Repeatability with AI-based assessment of the same scans is 100%. Repeatability (same conditions, same operator) and reproducibility (same conditions, two different operators) of manual segmentation was examined by re-segmentation in 25 randomly selected scans. RESULTS Mean (± SD) values with manual vs. CNN-based segmentation were Vol 617.65 ± 154.99 mL vs 625.26 ± 153.55 mL (P = .21), SUVmean 0.69 ± 0.15 vs 0.69 ± 0.15 (P = .26), SUVmax 2.68 ± 0.86 vs 2.77 ± 1.05 (P = .34), and SUVtotal 425.51 ± 138.93 vs 427.91 ± 132.68 (P = .62). Limits of agreement were - 89.42 to 74.2, - 0.02 to 0.02, - 1.52 to 1.32, and - 68.02 to 63.21, respectively. Manual segmentation lasted typically 30 minutes vs about one minute with the CNN-based approach. The maximal deviation at manual re-segmentation was for the four parameters 0% to 0.5% with the same and 0% to 1% with different operators. CONCLUSION The CNN-based method was faster and provided values for Vol, SUVmean, SUVmax, and SUVtotal comparable to the manually obtained ones. This AI-based segmentation approach appears to offer a more reproducible and much faster substitute for slow and cumbersome manual segmentation of the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Piri
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, 5000, Odense C, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Lars Edenbrandt
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Olof Enqvist
- Eigenvision AB, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sofie Skovrup
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, 5000, Odense C, Denmark
| | - Kasper Karmark Iversen
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Babak Saboury
- Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Abass Alavi
- Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Oke Gerke
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, 5000, Odense C, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Poul Flemming Høilund-Carlsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, 5000, Odense C, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Chen X, Zhou B, Xie H, Shi L, Liu H, Holler W, Lin M, Liu YH, Miller EJ, Sinusas AJ, Liu C. Direct and indirect strategies of deep-learning-based attenuation correction for general purpose and dedicated cardiac SPECT. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022; 49:3046-3060. [PMID: 35169887 PMCID: PMC9253078 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-022-05718-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Deep-learning-based attenuation correction (AC) for SPECT includes both indirect and direct approaches. Indirect approaches generate attenuation maps (μ-maps) from emission images, while direct approaches predict AC images directly from non-attenuation-corrected (NAC) images without μ-maps. For dedicated cardiac SPECT scanners with CZT detectors, indirect approaches are challenging due to the limited field-of-view (FOV). In this work, we aim to 1) first develop novel indirect approaches to improve the AC performance for dedicated SPECT; and 2) compare the AC performance between direct and indirect approaches for both general purpose and dedicated SPECT. METHODS For dedicated SPECT, we developed strategies to predict truncated μ-maps from NAC images reconstructed with a small matrix, or full μ-maps from NAC images reconstructed with a large matrix using 270 anonymized clinical studies scanned on a GE Discovery NM/CT 570c SPECT/CT. For general purpose SPECT, we implemented direct and indirect approaches using 400 anonymized clinical studies scanned on a GE NM/CT 850c SPECT/CT. NAC images in both photopeak and scatter windows were input to predict μ-maps or AC images. RESULTS For dedicated SPECT, the averaged normalized mean square error (NMSE) using our proposed strategies with full μ-maps was 1.20 ± 0.72% as compared to 2.21 ± 1.17% using the previous direct approaches. The polar map absolute percent error (APE) using our approaches was 3.24 ± 2.79% (R2 = 0.9499) as compared to 4.77 ± 3.96% (R2 = 0.9213) using direct approaches. For general purpose SPECT, the averaged NMSE of the predicted AC images using the direct approaches was 2.57 ± 1.06% as compared to 1.37 ± 1.16% using the indirect approaches. CONCLUSIONS We developed strategies of generating μ-maps for dedicated cardiac SPECT with small FOV. For both general purpose and dedicated SPECT, indirect approaches showed superior performance of AC than direct approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongchao Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bo Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Huidong Xie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Luyao Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, CT, New Haven, USA
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | | | - MingDe Lin
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, CT, New Haven, USA
- Visage Imaging, Inc, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yi-Hwa Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine (Cardiology), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Edward J Miller
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, CT, New Haven, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine (Cardiology), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Albert J Sinusas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, CT, New Haven, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine (Cardiology), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chi Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, CT, New Haven, USA.
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Kennedy J, Chicheportiche A, Keidar Z. Quantitative SPECT/CT for dosimetry of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. Semin Nucl Med 2021; 52:229-242. [PMID: 34911637 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are uncommon malignancies of increasing incidence and prevalence. As these slow growing tumors usually overexpress somatostatin receptors (SSTRs), the use of 68Ga-DOTA-peptides (gallium-68 chelated with dodecane tetra-acetic acid to somatostatin), which bind to the SSTRs, allows for PET based imaging and selection of patients for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). PRRT with radiolabeled somatostatin analogues such as 177Lu-DOTATATE (lutetium-177-[DOTA,Tyr3]-octreotate), is mainly used for the treatment of metastatic or inoperable NETs. However, PRRT is generally administered at a fixed injected activity in order not to exceed dose limits in critical organs, which is suboptimal given the variability in radiopharmaceutical uptake among patients. Advances in SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) imaging enable the absolute quantitative measure of the true radiopharmaceutical distribution providing for PRRT dosimetry in each patient. Personalized PRRT based on patient-specific dosimetry could improve therapeutic efficacy by optimizing effective tumor absorbed dose while limiting treatment related radiotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Kennedy
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Alexandre Chicheportiche
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics, Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Zohar Keidar
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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