PET/CT images acquired with Vision.X

PET/CT images in Vision 600

PET/CT images

The primary outcome will be image quality assessed on the two compared PET systems, namely Vision and Vision X.

For the all PET scans, three independent, blinded physicians will evaluate the scans and establish diagnoses. They will assess the following quality criteria using 5-point Likert scales:

• Overall Image Quality: 1 = poor, 5 = excellent,
• Image Noise: 1 = excessive noise, 5 = no perceptible noise, Image quality is associated with physician's diagnostic confidence and with the ability to detect smaller lesions that can lead to more accurate staging of diseases, particularly in oncology and neurology. This enhanced staging can influence treatment decisions, allowing healthcare professionals to tailor interventions based on a more precise understanding of the extent and location of the disease.

The secondary outcome will be the assessment of image quality (as for the primary outcome) on simulated lower doses of radiotracer activity on both PET systems (Vision and Vision X).

To assess this, the same parameters described in section 5.1 will be evaluated across different emulated scan times, as shorter scanning times allow simulating lower administered activities. These will be generated by binning the list-mode data with varying frame durations for both scanner acquisitions.

The lowering of the radiotracer activity maintaining a high-quality image is relevant for its capacity to reduce the radiation exposure for the patients and contributes to optimizing healthcare resources.