Office of Technology Development

Gamma Emission Tomography Enhances PET and CT Imaging

SK1321

Summary of Invention

The invention relates to an imaging device that can be used for conventional nuclear medicine, PET, and CT imaging. This invention would result in a considerable improvement in the image quality and quantitation accuracy over current PET and SPECT systems. It uses a novel detector configuration that will yield higher energy and position resolutions, and better sensitivity.

Using the novel detector configuration and photon detection technique, it is expected that the Signal-to-Noise (S/N) ratio will be substantially better than with conventional PET technology, allowing scanners that utilize this invention to significantly outperform existing PET devices. This should result in increased detectability and quantitation accuracy, which will reduce the acquisition time and/or patient's injected activity.

Advantages

With a considerable increase in sensitivity and resolution over existing PET and SPECT systems, the specific benefits of this technology include:

The novel detector configuration should increase system sensitivity by more than 100-fold.
The novel detector configuration should produce a spatial resolution in the order of 1 mm and an energy resolution less than 10 percent. It should also provide information about the depth of interaction (to within <1mm uncertainty), and acolinearity correction.
The novel technique enables the simultaneous imaging of single gamma emitters such as 99mT, 201Tl, etc. and positron-emitting radiotracers like 18FDG.
The novel detector configuration can also be used to detect x-rays, thus enabling the simultaneous performance of CT scanning in addition to PET/SPECT imaging. This allows the introduction of the “first true” combined PET/ CT camera, and spares the cost of a separate CT camera on a combined PET/CT scanner.
Compared to the current commercial PET/CT scanners, the suggested detector configuration will result in a major reduction in the camera's cost.
Monte Carlo simulations are currently being conducted to optimize the different components, and then to evaluate the performance of the suggested technology.

Market Need

There were roughly 1.52 million PET and PET/CT procedures conducted during 2008 in the U.S. alone, an increase of nearly 35 percent from 1.13 million procedures in 2005. This widespread adoption of PET and PET/CT scan technologies is a good indication of the marketplace potential for an innovative imaging device that offers better results more cost efficiently.

Areas of Application

Nuclear medicine, PET, and CT imaging

Stage of Development

Monte Carlo simulations being conducted

Lead Inventor

Sadek Nehmeh, PhD

Contact Information

Yashodhara Dash, MBBS, PhD, MBA
Tel. 212-639-6181; Fax 212-717-3439
E-mail: dashy@mskcc.org

Categories

Devices

device (dee-VISE)

An object that has a specific use. In medicine, wheelchairs, pumps, and artificial limbs are examples of devices.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

imaging (IH-muh-jing)

In medicine, a process that makes pictures of areas inside the body. Imaging uses methods such as x-rays (high-energy radiation), ultrasound (high-energy sound waves), and radio waves.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

indication (IN-dih-KAY-shun)

In medicine, a sign, symptom, or medical condition that leads to the recommendation of a treatment, test, or procedure.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

medicine (MEH-dih-sin)

Refers to the practices and procedures used for the prevention, treatment, or relief of symptoms of a diseases or abnormal conditions. This term may also refer to a legal drug used for the same purpose.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

nuclear medicine (NOO-klee-er MEH-dih-sin)

A branch of medicine that uses small amounts of radioactive substances to make pictures of areas inside the body and to treat disease. In cancer, the radioactive substance may be used with a special machine (such as a PET scanner) to find the cancer, to see how far it has spread, or to see how well a treatment is working. Radioactive substances may also be used to treat certain types of cancer, such as thyroid cancer and lymphoma.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

reduction (ree-DUK-shun)

A chemical reaction that takes place when a substance comes into contact with hydrogen or another reducing substance.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

scan (skan)

A picture of structures inside the body. Scans often used in diagnosing, staging, and monitoring disease include liver scans, bone scans, and computed tomography (CT) or computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. In liver scanning and bone scanning, radioactive substances that are injected into the bloodstream collect in these organs. A scanner that detects the radiation is used to create pictures. In CT scanning, an x-ray machine linked to a computer is used to produce detailed pictures of organs inside the body. MRI scans use a large magnet connected to a computer to create pictures of areas inside the body.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

scanner (SKA-ner)

In medicine, an instrument that takes pictures of the inside of the body.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

sensitivity (SEN-sih-TIH-vih-tee)

When referring to a medical test, sensitivity refers to the percentage of people who test positive for a specific disease among a group of people who have the disease. No test has 100% sensitivity because some people who have the disease will test negative for it (false negatives).

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

SPECT

A special type of computed tomography (CT) scan in which a small amount of a radioactive drug is injected into a vein and a scanner is used to make detailed images of areas inside the body where the radioactive material is taken up by the cells. SPECT can give information about blood flow to tissues and chemical reactions (metabolism) in the body. Also called single-photon emission computed tomography.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)

will (wil)

A legal document in which a person states what is to be done with his or her property after death, who is to carry out the terms of the will, and who is to care for any minor children.

Source: The National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms
(http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary)