Evaluation of six scatter correction methods based on spectral analysis in (99m)Tc SPECT imaging using SIMIND Monte Carlo simulation

Compton-scattered photons included within the photopeak pulse-height window result in the degradation of SPECT images both qualitatively and quantitatively. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare six scatter correction methods based on setting the energy windows in (99m)Tc spectrum. SIMIND Monte Carlo simulation is used to generate the projection images from a cold-sphere hot-background phantom. For evaluation of different scatter correction methods, three assessment criteria including image contrast, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and relative noise of the background (RNB) are considered. Except for the dual-photopeak window (DPW) method, the image contrast of the five cold spheres is improved in the range of 2.7-26%. Among methods considered, two methods show a nonuniform correction performance. The RNB for all of the scatter correction methods is ranged from minimum 0.03 for DPW method to maximum 0.0727 for the three energy window (TEW) method using trapezoidal approximation. The TEW method using triangular approximation because of ease of implementation, good improvement of the image contrast and the SNR for the five cold spheres, and the low noise level is proposed as most appropriate correction method.