Technical Note: Vendor-Specific Approach for Standardized Uptake Value Calculation

TL;DR

This paper presents a vendor-specific SUV calculation method for PET imaging that improves accuracy by addressing DICOM attribute inconsistencies and is implemented in an open-source tool.

Contribution

Introduces a novel vendor-specific SUV calculation strategy that enhances accuracy and is integrated into the open-source Z-Rad software.

Findings

Improved SUV calculation accuracy over existing methods.

Identified and corrected vendor-specific DICOM attribute issues.

Reduced SUV estimation errors up to 33%.

Abstract

The Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) is a critical metric in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, used to assess metabolic activity. However, calculating SUV from DICOM files presents challenges due to vendor-specific DICOM attributes and variations in the encoding of radiotracer accumulation times. This technical note introduces a robust, vendor-specific SUV calculation strategy that addresses inconsistencies in current methodologies. We also integrate this strategy into an open-source software solution, Z-Rad, capable of converting raw PET DICOM data into body-weight normalized SUV NIfTI files. Our SUV calculation strategy was developed by reviewing DICOM conformance statements from GE, Philips, and Siemens. Validation was conducted using real-world PET datasets, and the proposed strategy was compared to existing software solutions. Our SUV calculation approach demonstrated improved accuracy, particularly in resolving time-related discrepancies in the studied data. Our analysis also identified inconsistencies in the SUV calculation methods used by popular commercial and open-source software solutions, which do not fully account for vendor-specific DICOM attributes and PET image acquisition times. These limitations resulted in errors in SUV estimation reaching 33\% when comparing our strategy to studied software. The proposed vendor-specific SUV calculation strategy significantly enhances accuracy in PET imaging by addressing key inconsistencies caused by variations in DICOM attributes and image acquisition times across different vendors. This method effectively reduces SUV calculation errors and has been integrated into an open-source software, Z-Rad.