Effect of positron range on spatial resolution.

The effect of beta+ range on spatial resolution of imaging systems employing the detection of 511-keV annihilation radiation was determined by measuring the variation in the line-spread functions (LSFs) of positron-emitting radionuclides of 64Cu, 11C, and 15O as compared with the 514-keV gamma-ray emitter 85Sr. These radionuclides have maximum beta+ energies of 0.656, 0.960, and 1.72 MeV, respectively. The LSFs were measured in a tissue-equivalent phantom with high-resolution (approximately 2.4 mm FWHM) and low-resolution (approximately 8.8 mm FWHM) straightbore collimators coupled to a NaI(Tl) detector. Theoretical LSFs for the beta+ ranges were also calculated and convolved with the 85Sr LSF to yield the predicted LSFs for 11C and 15O. The high-resolution study showed a 0% and 2.3% increase in the full-width half-maximum (FWHM) and full-width tenth-maximum (FWO.1M) for the low-energy beta+ of 64Cu and a 37% (FWHM) and 52% (FWO.1M) increase for the high energy beta+ of 15O as compared with 85Sr. However, when the system resolution was decreased to 8.8 mm FWHM, the 64Cu showed no change at FWHM or FWO.1M and the 15O showed a 2.3% (FWHM) and 7.8% (FWO.1M) relative to 85Sr. The predicted LSFs were in good agreement with the experimental. These data indicate that the effect of beta+ range on spatial resolution is minimal unless the beta+ energy is larger than or equal to 1.5 MeV and the system resolution is on the order of a few millimeters.