Scatter and attenuation correction in SPECT using density maps and Monte Carlo simulated scatter functions.

A new scatter and attenuation correction method is presented in which Monte Carlo simulated scatter line-spread functions for different depth and lateral positions are used. A reconstructed emission image is used as an estimate of the source distribution in order to calculate the scatter contribution in the projection data. The scatter contribution is then subtracted from the original projection prior to attenuation correction. The attenuation correction method uses density maps for the attenuation correction of projection data. Simulation studies have been done with a clinically realistic source distribution in cylindrical, homogeneous water phantoms of different sizes and with photon energies corresponding to 201T1, 99mTc, and 111In. The results show excellent quantitative results with an accuracy within +/- 10% for most of the source positions and phantom sizes. It has also been shown that the variation in the event distribution within the source region in the images has been significantly decreased and that an enhancement in the contrast has been achieved.