Ultrahigh-Resolution Transformable Clinical PET Camera

项目描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的长期目标是提高PET的图像分辨率、图像质量和生产成本，扩大PET在临床、研究和肿瘤分子成像方面的应用。提出了一种新型PET的发展方向。与目前的临床PET （4.5 mm）相比，该PET具有超高的图像分辨率（2.2-2.6 mm），并具有可转换的配置，包括：(a)高灵敏度脑/动物模式，(b)全身肿瘤定位/分期模式，(c)高灵敏度乳房模式和(d)超大放射治疗计划模式。PET的生产成本将低于典型的商用PET。乳腺专用模式的符合率比常规PET高13-26倍，图像分辨率达2.2 mm，可早期发现乳腺小肿瘤及多病变。对于脑成像，脑模式的图像分辨率为2.2 mm，检测灵敏度提高4倍，具有超大的21厘米轴向视场，可同时成像脑和颈动脉（超高分辨率使图像具有动脉输入功能）。该项目的健康应用目标是通过以下方式提高癌症诊断和研究的准确性：(a)早期发现小至2-3毫米的原发性、转移性和复发性肿瘤，(b)早期确定癌症对治疗的反应，(c)更准确地量化肿瘤的功能，(d)促进癌症研究的定量示踪动力学建模，以及(e) 1-2分钟快速乳房成像，以促进高风险年轻女性的乳房筛查和乳房检查。这种高灵敏度、超高分辨率的小模式将适用于动物模型，例如基因工程小鼠。该提议的PET将使用(a)在NIH支持下由我们开发的超高分辨率，低成本检测器设计，(b)在NIH支持下为超高分辨率检测器开发的高速PET电子设备（可显着减少图像伪影），以及(c) NIH支持的最新可变形PET概念研究的结果。一个按比例缩小的PET原型已经开发出来，以证明(A)超高分辨率探测器概念，以及(b)可转换PET概念的理论有效性和工程可行性。该申请旨在通过4个大型RO1拨款获得8年的技术开发和NIH资助，所有这些都旨在开发拟议的超高分辨率可转换PET。有了这个全尺寸的PET，临床/人体测试可以进行，以测试一个可转换的PET的多功能，专用的小型PET的脑，头颈部和乳房成像的有用性，以及超高分辨率PET成像的有用性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of the project is to improve the image resolution, image quality, and production cost of PET and to broaden PET's applications in clinical, research and molecular imaging in oncology. The development of a new type of PET is proposed. This PET has an ultrahigh image resolution (2.2-2.6 mm) over current clinical PET (4.5 mm) and a transformable configuration including: (a) a high-sensitivity brain/animal1 mode, (b) a whole-body tumor localization/staging mode, (c) a high-sensitivity breast mode and (d) an extra large radiation treatment planning mode. The production cost of the PET would be less than that of a typical commercial PET. The dedicated breast mode has 13-26 times higher coincidence-detection sensitivity than regular PET's, and an image resolution of 2.2 mm, for early detection of small breast tumors and multi-lesion diseases. For brain imaging, the brain mode has an image resolution of 2.2 mm, a 4x higher detection sensitivity with an extra large 21 cm axial-field-of-view for concurrent imaging of the brain and carotid arteries (for obtaining arterial input function in the image enabled by the ultrahigh resolution). The health application aims of the project are to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis and research by (a) early detection of primary, metastatic and recurrent tumors as small as 2-3 mm, (b) determining the response of cancer to treatment earlier, (c) quantifying more accurately the functions of tumors, (d) facilitate quantitative tracer-kinetic modeling for cancer research, and (e) 1-2 minute fast breast imaging to facilitate breast screening for high risk young women and breast exams. The high-sensitivity, ultrahigh resolution small mode would be useful for animal models, e.g., genetically engineered mice. This proposed PET will use (a) an ultrahigh resolution, lower-cost detector design developed by us under NIH support, (b) a high speed PET electronics (that significantly reduce image artifacts) developed with NIH support for the ultrahigh resolution detectors, and (c) the results of the latest transformable-PET concept studies supported by NIH. A scaled-down prototype PET has been developed to demonstrate (a) the ultrahigh resolution detector concept, and (b) the theoretical validity and engineering feasibility of the transformable PET concept. This application aims to harvest 8 years of technology development and NIH funding through 4 large RO1 grants, all targeted for developing the proposed ultrahigh resolution transformable PET. With this full-size PET, clinical/human tests can be performed to test the multifunctionality of a transformable PET, the usefulness of dedicated small PET's for brain, head and neck, and breast imaging, and the usefulness of ultrahigh resolution PET imaging.