GATE: a simulation toolkit for PET and SPECT.

Monte Carlo simulation is an essential tool in emission tomography that can assist in the design of new medical imaging devices, the optimization of acquisition protocols and the development or assessment of image reconstruction algorithms and correction techniques. GATE, the Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission, encapsulates the Geant4 libraries to achieve a modular, versatile, scripted simulation toolkit adapted to the field of nuclear medicine. In particular, GATE allows the description of time-dependent phenomena such as source or detector movement, and source decay kinetics. This feature makes it possible to simulate time curves under realistic acquisition conditions and to test dynamic reconstruction algorithms. This paper gives a detailed description of the design and development of GATE by the OpenGATE collaboration, whose continuing objective is to improve, document and validate GATE by simulating commercially available imaging systems for PET and SPECT. Large effort is also invested in the ability and the flexibility to model novel detection systems or systems still under design. A public release of GATE licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License can be downloaded at http:/www-lphe.epfl.ch/GATE/. Two benchmarks developed for PET and SPECT to test the installation of GATE and to serve as a tutorial for the users are presented. Extensive validation of the GATE simulation platform has been started, comparing simulations and measurements on commercially available acquisition systems. References to those results are listed. The future prospects towards the gridification of GATE and its extension to other domains such as dosimetry are also discussed.

[1]  S. Vandenberghe,et al.  The geometric transfer function for a slat collimator mounted on a strip detector , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.

[2]  Koji Iwata,et al.  GAMMA -RAY SPECTRA FROM POSITRON ANNIHILATION ON ATOMS AND MOLECULES , 1997 .

[3]  George Marsaglia,et al.  Toward a universal random number generator , 1987 .

[4]  Luc Bidaut.  Validation of GATE Monte Carlo simulations for the GE Advance PET scanner. , 2004 .

[5]  P. Lecoq,et al.  Intrinsic energy resolution and light output of the Lu0.7Y0.3AP:Ce scintillator , 2002 .

[6]  S. Vandenberghe,et al.  Transmission imaging with a moving point source: influence of crystal thickness and collimator type , 2003, 2003 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Conference Record (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37515).

[7]  D. Lazaro.  Validation de la plate-forme de simulation GATE en Tomographie d'Emission Monophotonique et application au développement d'un algorithme de reconstruction 3D complète , 2003 .

[8]  Ignace Lemahieu,et al.  Monte Carlo simulations of a scintillation camera using GATE: validation and application modelling. , 2003, Physics in medicine and biology.

[9]  I. Gardin,et al.  Validation of gate Monte Carlo simulations for indium 111 imaging , 2004, IEEE Symposium Conference Record Nuclear Science 2004..

[10]  G. Santin,et al.  GATE: a Geant4-based simulation platform for PET and SPECT integrating movement and time management , 2003 .

[11]  Vincent Breton,et al.  GATE (geant4 application for tomographic emission): a PET/SPECT general-purpose simulation platform , 2003 .

[12]  A. Bielajew,et al.  History, Overview and Recent Improvement of EGS4 , 2004 .

[13]  Anthony R. Benedetto,et al.  Monte Carlo Simulation in the Radiological Sciences , 1989 .

[14]  C. Comtat,et al.  Monte Carlo Simulation for the ECAT EXACT HR+ system using GATE , 2003, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science.

[15]  V. Kohli,et al.  Investigation of OPET performance using GATE, a Geant4-based simulation software , 2003, 2003 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Conference Record (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37515).

[16]  Gyuseong Cho,et al.  Optimization of dual layer phoswich detector consisting of LSO and LuYAP for small animal PET , 2003, 2003 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium. Conference Record (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37515).

[17]  Jan De Beenhouwer,et al.  Simulation study comparing the imaging performance of a solid state detector with a rotating slat collimator versus parallel beam collimator setups , 2004, SPIE Medical Imaging.

[18]  I Kodeli,et al.  Intercomparison on the usage of computational codes in radiation dosimetry. , 2004, Radiation protection dosimetry.

[19]  Carole Lartizien,et al.  The ClearPET ™ LSO/LuYAP Phoswich Scanner: A high Performance Small Animal PET System , 2004 .

[20]  I Buvat,et al.  Monte Carlo simulations in SPET and PET. , 2002, The quarterly journal of nuclear medicine : official publication of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine (AIMN) [and] the International Association of Radiopharmacology.

[21]  C. Ma,et al.  BEAM: a Monte Carlo code to simulate radiotherapy treatment units. , 1995, Medical physics.

[22]  Ignace Lemahieu,et al.  A three-dimensional theoretical model incorporating spatial detection uncertainty in continuous detector PET. , 2004, Physics in medicine and biology.

[23]  Yves Bizais,et al.  Simulation of the Allegro PET system using GATE , 2004, SPIE Medical Imaging.

[24]  G. Santin,et al.  Simulation of time curves in small animal PET using GATE , 2004 .

[25]  F. James.  A Review of Pseudorandom Number Generators , 1990 .

[26]  I Buvat,et al.  Validation of the GATE Monte Carlo simulation platform for modelling a CsI(Tl) scintillation camera dedicated to small-animal imaging , 2004, Physics in medicine and biology.

[27]  M. S. Kaplan,et al.  Preliminary Experience With The Photon History Generator Module Of A Public-domain Simulation System For Emission Tomography , 1993, 1993 IEEE Conference Record Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference.

[28]  Rik Van de Walle,et al.  Monte Carlo simulation in PET and SPECT instrumentation using GATE , 2004 .

[29]  J. F. Briesmeister.  MCNP-A General Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code , 1993 .

[30]  S. Jan,et al.  Simulateur Monte Carlo et caméra à xénon liquide pour la tomographie à émission de positons , 2002 .

[31]  L. Anderson,et al.  Dosimetry of interstitial brachytherapy sources: Recommendations of the AAPM Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group No. 43 , 1995 .

[32]  F. Rademakers,et al.  ROOT — An object oriented data analysis framework , 1997 .