Optimal coded aperture patterns for improved SNR in nuclear medicine imaging

During a Nuclear Medicine project that called for the optimal design of a c oded aperture we found that low-throughput masks do not always provide a Si gnal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) advantage. In this paper, we present the simulati ons of the performance of some coded aperture patterns chosen from differen t families and compare the results with theoretical predictions. A general expression for the SNR and its particular form for different patterns are p rovided. The choice of the optimal pattern family is discussed with referen ce to the characteristics of the object to be imaged and in light of the ef fect of near-field artifacts. No-Two-Holes-Touching (NTHT) arrays based on Modified Uniformly Redundant Arrays (MURAs) proved to offer the best compro mise between SNR performance and practical fabrication constraints. (C) 200 1 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.