Imaging protocols
Protocols for radioimaging an event or disorder are provided. An exemplary protocol comprises a method of radioimaging a myocardial perfusion, the method comprising in sequence: (a) administering to a subject about 3 mCi Tl201 thallous chloride; (b) allowing said subject to rest; (c) radioimaging a heart of said subject; (d) subjecting said subject to a physical stress; (e) administering to said subject at a peak of said physical stress about 20-30 mCi Tc99m sestamibi; and (f) radioimaging said heart of said subject, thereby radioimaging a myocardial perfusion.
1. A method of radioimaging a human organ, to obtain a clinically-valuable image having a resolution of at least 7×7×7 cubic mm of a volume of at least 5 cm diameter, comprising:
administering a radiopharmaceutical to a patient;
acquiring radiation emission data from an organ of said patient for a period of 5 minutes or less using a SPECT camera, wherein said acquiring comprises blocking radiation from a field of view of said camera using one or more radiation attenuation elements; and
reconstructing, from said data, a clinically-valuable image of a volume of about at least 5 cm diameter including at least a part of said organ at a resolution of at least 7×7×7 cubic mm.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said SPECT camera is a collimated SPECT camera.
3. A method according to claim 1 , comprising programming said camera according to a desired protocol.
4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said camera is programmed in response to at least one machine-readable indication provided with a data carrier containing information on one or both of the patient and the radiopharmaceutical.
5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said indication indicates a parameter of a desired protocol.
6. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said camera requires said indication in order to operate.
7. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said indication includes at least one injection instruction indication.
8. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said indication is mechanically coupled to said radiopharmaceutical.
9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said camera includes a user interface which supports said method.
10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said administering is by one or more of oral, transnasal, intravenous, rectal, transmucosal, intestinal, parenteral, intrathecal, intranasal, intraperitoneal, intramuscular and subcutaneous delivery.
11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said acquiring comprises starting acquiring within ten minutes after said administration.
12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said acquiring comprises starting acquiring within one minute or less after said administration.
13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said acquiring comprises starting acquiring simultaneously with or before said administration.
14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said radiopharmaceutical comprises an isotope selected from a group consisting of: Tc-99m at between 20 and 40 mCi, Tl-201 at between 1 and 5 mCi, In-111 at between 2 and 5 mCi and I-123 at between 5 and 15 mCi.
15. A method according to claim 1 , comprising:
early acquiring data for less than two minutes; and
analyzing the data to determine at least one scanning parameter,
and wherein said acquiring data comprises acquiring data according to said at least one scanning parameter.
16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said administering comprises:
administering a low dose of a first amount of a radiopharmaceutical;
early acquiring data for less than two minutes; and
analyzing the data; and
administering a high dose of said radiopharmaceutical,
and wherein said acquiring data comprises acquiring data according to said analysis.
17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said low dose is a trace amount.
18. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said high amount has a radioactivity dose of at least 10 times said low dose.
19. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said high amount has a radioactivity dose of at least 3 times said low dose.
20. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said high amount has a radioactivity dose of at least 2.5 times said low dose.
21. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said reconstructing comprises reconstructing a dynamic study in which radiopharmaceutical concentration changes dynamically.
22. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said patient is not moved out of an imaging system over a period covering both said administering and said acquiring.
23. A method according to claim 1 , wherein administering a radiopharmaceutical comprises administering a plurality of radiopharmaceuticals and wherein said acquiring comprises acquiring data from said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals together and wherein said reconstructing comprises reconstructing an image including data from said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals.
24. A method according to claim 23 , wherein said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals is greater than two.
25. A method according to claim 23 , wherein said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals are delivered substantially simultaneously.
26. A method according to claim 23 , wherein a dosage of each said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals is matched to reduce interference therebetween.
27. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said reduction is a reduction in interference caused by Compton scatter.
28. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said reduction is a reduction in interference caused by spectral interference.
29. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said matching comprises using less than half a dosage of tc-99m than a dosage of Tl-201.
30. A method according to claim 23 , comprising first administering a first one of said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals, and acquiring interim data from the patient in response thereto, before administering a second one of said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals.
31. A method according to claim 30 , comprising using said interim data for one or more of controlling a dosage of said second radio pharmaceutical, controlling an administration of second radiopharmaceutical, controlling said acquiring and controlling image analysis.
32. A method according to claim 30 , comprising applying a stressor to said patient in conjunction with at least one of said administering of a radiopharmaceutical.
33. A method according to claim 30 , comprising reconstructing a clinically useful image of at least a part of said organ, from said interim data and also completing said reconstructing of an image from said data relating to said second radiopharmaceutical using data acquired within 30 minutes from said first administering.
34. A method according to claim 33 , wherein said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals are identical materials at different dosages or administration profiles and wherein a higher dose is provided in association with a stress state.
35. A method according to claim 33 , wherein said completing is within 20 minutes.
36. A method according to claim 23 , wherein at least one of said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals comprises Tc-99m.
37. A method according to claim 23 , wherein at least one of said plurality of radiopharmaceuticals comprises Tl-201.
38. A method according to claim 1 , comprising applying a stressor to said patient in conjunction with at least one of said administering of a radiopharmaceutical.
39. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said organ is a heart.
40. A method of radioimaging a heart, to obtain a clinically-valuable image having a resolution of at least 7×7×7 mm of a volume of at least 5 cm diameter, comprising:
administering a radiopharmaceutical to a patient at a low dose having an EDE (effective dose equivalent) of less than 2.5 millirem per Kg weight of said patient;
acquiring radiation emission data from a heart of said patient using a collimated SPECT camera, said radiation being emitted by said low dose radiopharmaceutical, wherein said acquiring comprises acquiring radiation emission data from said heart for a period of 5 minutes or less using a SPECT camera, wherein said acquiring comprises blocking radiation from a field of view of said camera using one or more radiation attenuation elements; and
reconstructing, from said data, a clinically-valuable image of a volume of about at least 5 cm diameter including at least a part of said heart at a resolution of at least 7×7×7 cubic mm, from said data.
41. A radiation emission camera, comprising:
a controller; and
at least one radiation detector,
characterized in that, said controller is configured to follow the method of claim 1 for one or both of (a) acquiring and reconstructing data and (b) control timing of imaging relative to said administering.