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Advances in Nuclear Cardiac Instrumentation with a View Towards Reduced Radiation Exposure

  • Nuclear Cardiology (V Dilsizian, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Recent advances in nuclear cardiology instrumentation have enabled myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with improved image quality and faster scan times. These developments also can be exploited to reduce the effective radiation dose to the patient. In this review, we discuss these technologies including new single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, as well as novel reconstruction software with regard to their potential for the reduction of the patient radiation dose. New advances in nuclear cardiology instrumentation will allow routine rest/stress MPI imaging with low radiation doses (<5 mSv) and fast imaging times, even by the software-only solutions. It is possible to further reduce the MPI radiation dose to less than 2 to 3 mSv range with standard acquisition times. PET perfusion imaging also can be performed with very low doses especially by the three-dimensional scanners allowing hybrid PET/computed tomographic angiography (CTA) imaging with low overall dose. In addition, stress-only protocols can be utilized to further reduce the radiation dose and the overall test time.

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Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Dr. Andrew Einstein for providing the template for Fig. 3.

Disclosure

Conflicts of interest: P.J. Slomka: has received grant support from the National Institutes of Health, and has received royalties from Cedars-Sinai Software; D. Dey: has received grant support from the American Heart Association; W.L. Duvall: none; M.J. Henzlova: none; D.S. Berman: has been a consultant for Lantheus; has received grant support from Lantheus Medical Imaging, Astellas Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Siemens, Cardiac Therapeutics Inc.; has received honoraria from IBA Molecular and Astellas Healthcare; has received royalties from Cedars-Sinai Software; and has received money from Spectrum Dynamics; G. Germano: has received royalties from Cedars-Sinai Software.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) Program, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Suite A047, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA

    Piotr J. Slomka & Guido Germano

  2. Department of Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Suite A238, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA

    Damini Dey

  3. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    W. Lane Duvall & Milena J. Henzlova

  4. Department of Imaging and Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Suite 1258, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA

    Daniel S. Berman

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  1. Piotr J. Slomka
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  4. Milena J. Henzlova
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Correspondence to Piotr J. Slomka.

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Slomka, P.J., Dey, D., Duvall, W.L. et al. Advances in Nuclear Cardiac Instrumentation with a View Towards Reduced Radiation Exposure. Curr Cardiol Rep 14, 208–216 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-012-0248-z

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