Stimulated positron emission analysis techniques for the quantitative assessment of fluorine in bone

Author

Anderson, J.A. ; Antich, P.P. ; Prior, J.O. ; Kulkarni, P.V. ; Tuley, F.H. ; Parkey, R.W. ; Fenyves, E.J. ; Chaney, R.C.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Radiol., Texas Univ. Southwestern Med. Center at Dallas, TX, USA

Volume

38

Issue

2

fYear

1991

fDate

4/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

713

Lastpage

718

Abstract

The use of nuclear photoactivation in conjunction with positron emission analysis techniques to quantify the spatial distribution of elements in bone is considered. A realistic model of bone composition and a simplified model of bremsstrahlung spectral intensity have been used to calculate the activation yields obtainable with medical linear accelerators. The results of activation experiments performed using a linac-produced 18-MV X-ray beam have been compared with the predictions of this model to assess the feasibility of obtaining the relative amounts of the different elements from the analysis of the time dependence of the decay. It is concluded that photonuclear activation in conjunction with positron emission analysis techniques has the potential for noninvasively determining the elemental composition of bone. Because this process will also have the unique signature used in positron emission tomography (PET), it provides an approach to imaging the distribution of elements within bones

Keywords

biomedical measurement; bone; radiology; 18 MV; activation yields; bone F; bremsstrahlung spectral intensity; elements spatial distribution; medical linear accelerators; noninvasive determination; nuclear photoactivation; quantitative assessment; stimulated positron emission analysis techniques; Bones; Calcium; Chemical elements; Electron microscopy; Magnetic analysis; Minerals; Radioactive decay; Spatial resolution; Spectroscopy; X-ray imaging;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9499

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/23.289379

Filename

289379