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Efforts to create a digital reference object for PET DICOM display stations to ensure accuracy in clinical imaging trials and practice. In progress: gathering and comparing PET/CT images from various scanners. Planned tasks include evaluating the digital reference object and exploring further data generation strategies. Resources needed from experts and organizations.
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Digital Reference Object Subcommittee Goals • Build a common reference DICOM test object (digital reference object or DRO) that can be generated by each scanner and then read on PET DICOM display stations • The digital reference object verifies information fidelity for quantitative accuracy in clinical imaging trials • It also provides the next step beyond DICOM conformance statement and NEMA acceptance tests for quantitation in clinical practice and clinical trials Current Status • Collected PET/CT images of the same reference phantom from scanners from GE, Philips, Siemens • Image data collated and compared w.r.t. DICOM header information • Contacted Scanner and Display Mfrs to start discussion of • DICOM information needed • Acceptable process • Not complete response yet • DICOM images of identical test object acquired on 12 PET/CT scanners of uploaded to database
Digital Reference Object • Sample images of the IDENTICAL object from 12 different PET and PET/CT scanners Not meant as a "Consumer's Report" evaluation, but rather to facilitate multi-center comparisons
Digital Reference Object Specific Tasks Planned: • Manufacturer-driven discussion on methods for distributing and testing a purely digital version of the reference phantom • Evaluate test digital reference object on 3rd party review stations • Initiate IHE process for manufacturer-driven roll-out • Explore potential for moving further up the data generation stream, i.e., closer to raw data
Resources needed • Expert guidance from pharma on the range of potential end-points of quantitative imaging biomarker clinical trials • Information from Clinical Research Organizations on needed data and verification information to be included with digital reference objects • Expert information from scanner manufacturers on data encoded in DICOM image headers (same as data used by Quantitation Computation Technical Subcommittee) • Assistance by Display Station Vendors in ability and methods of interpreting DICOM image information for SUVs and consensus on data fields needed for digital reference objects • Guidance from scanner manufacturers and RSNA on IHE steps for implementation / generation of digital reference objects • RSNA support services for meetings and data transfer • Attendance by relevant experts from scanner manufacturers on 2-4 conference calls, 1 or 2 reviews of concise documentation, and potentially 1 face-to-face meeting