# Development of advanced cardiac SPECT imaging technologies

> **NIH NIH R01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $805,251

## Abstract

Project Abstract
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) continues to play a critical role in the diagnosis and
management of coronary artery disease (CAD). While conventional SPECT scanners using parallel-hole
collimators are still the foundation of cardiac SPECT, recently our field observed an exciting growth of new
developments of dedicated cardiac scanners. Such dedicated scanners, such as the GE Alcyone 530/570c
systems and the D-SPECT systems both with CZT detectors, typically have multiple detectors collecting
photons emitted from the heart simultaneously, leading to dramatically improved sensitivity (2-5 X). In addition,
the GE systems use pinhole collimators and can achieve much higher resolution. These dedicated scanners
opened doors to new applications with significant clinical impact, including ultra-low-dose imaging, absolute
quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR), high resolution molecular
imaging, multi-isotope imaging, motion correction, and many more. Most of these new applications are
uniquely achievable only using dedicated scanners. While the dedicated cardiac SPECT systems can improve
clinical practice and lead to numerous new clinical applications, such systems are far from being optimized to
fully realize their great potentials. In this grant, we propose to systematically develop and optimize innovative
imaging technologies for the GE 530/570c systems to further improve its clinical efficacy in a variety of
significant ways. In Aim 1, we will develop and optimize methods for static cardiac SPECT imaging. We will
develop various deep learning methods and investigate approaches to increase angular sampling to reduce
noise, and improve resolution and quantitative accuracy. In Aim 2, we will develop and validate methods for
dynamic SPECT imaging, particularly involving direct parametric image reconstruction. In Aim 3, we will
develop and validate methods for dual-isotope SPECT. Monte Carso simulation and deep learning based
methods will be developed for tracers with different spatial distributions and fast kinetics. In all three aims,
large animal studies and human subject data will be used for optimization and validation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10221049
- **Project number:** 5R01HL154345-02
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Chi Liu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $805,251
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10221049

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10221049, Development of advanced cardiac SPECT imaging technologies (5R01HL154345-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10221049. Licensed CC0.

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