SPECT

[i]ABSTRACT[/i]

SPECT, the acronym for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, is a nuclear medicine imaging modality, giving information about a patient’s specific organ or body system. SPECT is a nuclear medicine technique that uses radiopharmaceuticals, a rotating camera and a computer to produce images which allow us to visualize functional information about a patient’s specific organ or body system. SPECT images are functional in nature rather than being purely anatomical such as ultrasound, CT and MRI.SPECT, like PET acquires information on the concentration of radio nuclides to the patient’s body. The patient is injected with a radiopharmaceutical, which will emit Gamma rays. The radio activity is collected by an instrument called gamma camera and the image is reconstructed. SPECT is used to make three dimensional images of the heart, to perform brain studies and for skeletal scintigraphy.

Emission Computed Tomography is a technique where by multi cross sectional images of tissue function can be produced, thus removing the effect of overlying and underlying activity. The technique of ECT is generally considered as two separate modalities. SINGLE PHOTON Emission Computed Tomography involves the use single gamma ray emitted per nuclear disintegration. Positron Emission Tomography makes use of radio isotopes such as gallium-68, when two gamma rays each of 511KeV, are emitted simultaneously where a positron from a nuclear disintegration annihilates in tissue. SPECT dates from the early 1960 are when the idea of emission traverse section tomography was introduced by D.E.Kuhl and R.Q.Edwards prior to PET, X-ray, CT or MRI. THE first commercial Single Photon- ECT or SPECT imaging device was developed by Edward and Kuhl and they produce tomographic images from emission data in 1963.Many research systems which became clinical standards were also developed in 1980’s.