Maximum-Likelihood Joint Image Reconstruction/Motion Estimation in Attenuation-Corrected Respiratory Gated PET/CT Using a Single Attenuation Map
Abstract
This work provides an insight into positron emission tomography (PET) joint image reconstruction/motion estimation (JRM) by maximization of the likelihood, where the probabilistic model accounts for warped attenuation. Our analysis shows that maximum-likelihood (ML) JRM returns the same reconstructed gates for any attenuation map (μ-map) that is a deformation of a given μ-map, regardless of its alignment with the PET gates. We derived a joint optimization algorithm accordingly, and applied it to simulated and patient gated PET data. We first evaluated the proposed algorithm on simulations of respiratory gated PET/CT data based on the XCAT phantom. Our results show that independently of which μ-map is used as input to JRM: (i) the warped μ-maps correspond to the gated μ-maps, (ii) JRM outperforms the traditional post-registration reconstruction and consolidation (PRRC) for hot lesion quantification and (iii) reconstructed gated PET images are similar to those obtained with gated μ-maps. This suggests that a breath-held μ-map can be used. We then applied JRM on patient data with a μ-map derived from a breath-held high resolution CT (HRCT), and compared the results with PRRC, where each reconstructed PET image was obtained with a corresponding cine-CT gated μ-map. Results show that JRM with breath-held HRCT achieves similar reconstruction to that using PRRC with cine-CT. This suggests a practical low-dose solution for implementation of motion-corrected respiratory gated PET/CT.
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BibTeX
@article{bousse2026maximumlikelihood,
title = {{Maximum-Likelihood Joint Image Reconstruction/Motion Estimation in Attenuation-Corrected Respiratory Gated PET/CT Using a Single Attenuation Map}},
author = {Alexandre Bousse and Ottavia Bertolli and David Atkinson and Simon Arridge and Sébastien Ourselin and Brian Hutton and Kris Thielemans},
journal = {IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1109/tmi.2015.2464156},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05763818v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Maximum-Likelihood Joint Image Reconstruction/Motion Estimation in Attenuation-Corrected Respiratory Gated PET/CT Using a Single Attenuation Map
AU - Alexandre Bousse
AU - Ottavia Bertolli
AU - David Atkinson
AU - Simon Arridge
AU - Sébastien Ourselin
AU - Brian Hutton
AU - Kris Thielemans
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
JO - IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging
DO - 10.1109/tmi.2015.2464156
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05763818v1
AB - This work provides an insight into positron emission tomography (PET) joint image reconstruction/motion estimation (JRM) by maximization of the likelihood, where the probabilistic model accounts for warped attenuation. Our analysis shows that maximum-likelihood (ML) JRM returns the same reconstructed gates for any attenuation map (μ-map) that is a deformation of a given μ-map, regardless of its alignment with the PET gates. We derived a joint optimization algorithm accordingly, and applied it to simulated and patient gated PET data. We first evaluated the proposed algorithm on simulations of respiratory gated PET/CT data based on the XCAT phantom. Our results show that independently of which μ-map is used as input to JRM: (i) the warped μ-maps correspond to the gated μ-maps, (ii) JRM outperforms the traditional post-registration reconstruction and consolidation (PRRC) for hot lesion quantification and (iii) reconstructed gated PET images are similar to those obtained with gated μ-maps. This suggests that a breath-held μ-map can be used. We then applied JRM on patient data with a μ-map derived from a breath-held high resolution CT (HRCT), and compared the results with PRRC, where each reconstructed PET image was obtained with a corresponding cine-CT gated μ-map. Results show that JRM with breath-held HRCT achieves similar reconstruction to that using PRRC with cine-CT. This suggests a practical low-dose solution for implementation of motion-corrected respiratory gated PET/CT.
SN - 0278-0062
ER -