Dynamic PET/CT Imaging Protocol for Rubidium-82 Myocardial Perfusion

Data acquisitions were performed with a Discovery LS PET/CT (GE HealthCare, Waukesha, WI) in 2-D mode using a multi-frame acquisition protocol over 6 minutes (12 × 8 seconds, 5 × 12 seconds, 1 × 30 seconds, 1 × 60 seconds, 1 × 120 seconds) started immediately after a 30-seconds square-wave infusion of 1450 MBq of [⁸²Rb] rubidium chloride at rest.27 (link) The same acquisition protocol was used for stress imaging starting 2 minutes after the beginning of adenosine infusion. Two low-dose CT scans (120 keV, 10 mAs) were acquired for attenuation correction, one just before the rest study and one immediately after the stress study. CT images were manually reviewed for accurate coregistration with the PET images. Dynamic transverse images were reconstructed using OSEM with a Hann loop filter of 2.34 mm full-width at half maximum (FWHM) and a Hann post-filter of 3.27 mm FWHM. The arterial blood pressure and heart rate, as well as the 12-lead EKG were continuously monitored. The total time in the PET/CT scanner was about 20 minutes and the effective dose due to ⁸²Rb was about 2 mSv for both rest and stress acquisitions, including the CT dose.28 (link)