SpringThunder

Introduction

SpringThunder is a general toolbox designated for visualizing, analyzing and modelling PET heart studies. The current version is only for water studies. More functions will come continousely. SpringThunder is developed by IDL language, but it is IDL license independent, it is run on IDL virtual machine (IDL-VM). IDL-VM is freely downloadable from IDL website (www.rsinc.com).

 

Main features:

l         Complete solution for analyzing heart PET water study

l         IDL-license independent (run on IDL virtual machine)

l         Open platform

l         Plugin: allow IDL developers to write their own codes

l         On both of Unix and Window

l         Data visualization

l         Crop and Rotation

l         Automatical/Manual detection of myocardial region and input function

l         Motion correction

l         Modelling

l         Result visualization in polar map and 3-D

 

 

Instruction to installation

l         Download IDL virtual machine from IDL website (www.rsinc.com).

l         Install IDL virtual machine to your computer.

l         Go to the download page.

 

 

How to start SpringThunder?

l         Window: just click SpringThunder from File Manager

l         Unix:: idl –vm=<path><filename>.sav

 

For detailes how to run .sav file in the IDL virtual machine, please go to IDL VM website

 

What format data can SpringhThunder read?

• ECAT7.x: built-in ECAT7Reader in SpringThunder
• ECAT6.3, with the help of “e63to7.exe”, which is written by Vesa Oikonen. Download it and save it on /idl/st/config/ after installation of SpringThunder.

 

How to analyze data using SpringThunder

• Start SpringThunder
• Load data: File->Open File
• After reading data, a window will come. You can draw a square by pressing left button of mous, then press “CROPXY” or “CROPZ” button
• Preprocess: Process->Preprocess: calculate difference image
• Rotation: Process->Rotation, define long axis of heart: Note that, only two presses of left button of mouse are acceptable, on first and second window, the first (red dot will come on image) press defines the apex and the second defines the base. But on the third window, the first press defines center of left ventricle and the second defines the center of right ventricle.
• After definition of long axis, remember to rotate dynamic data by pressing “rotate dynamic”
• Then press “probe” to visualize myocardical ROI detected by program and you can refine this ROI by modify the constraints.
• Then the button of “roi” will generate a modelling window, there, you can do modelling by pressing the button of “doWater”.

 

I will publish a manual of SpringThunder as soon as possible.

    A gallery for using SpringThunder is avaible.

 

How to do plugin on SpringThunder

• Only for IDL developer rather than PET researchers.
• Very easily to use.
• Two kinds of plugin: SAV plugin is for compiled file run on IDL-VM and PRO plugin for source code run with IDL license.
• Details to see how to use plugin on SpringThunder

 

Chunlei Han

September, 2, Turku, Finland