HIGH RESOLUTION NUCLEAR CARDIAC IMAGING

描述（由申请人提供）：核医学成像方式，如单光子发射计算机断层扫描（SPECT）和正电子发射断层扫描（PET）是功能强大的非侵入性医学成像技术，可提供放射性核素在人体研究器官的任何切片中的三维分布图像[Phelps]。这些图像允许研究正在研究的区域的代谢，并且是了解器官功能以及诊断疾病症状的有用工具。核医学是一种非常重要的心脏成像方式，既提供诊断，也提供预后。SPECT通常用于定位冠状动脉疾病，现在多达90%的心肌灌注研究都是使用SPECT进行的。PET在心脏成像中的作用正在逐渐扩大，特别是在检测冠状动脉疾病（其准确度比SPECT高-10 - 15%）和评估心肌活力方面[Gunn Bronson]。近年来，核医学与x射线CT成像的结合为心脏成像研究提供了更好的衰减校正。显然，核医学技术在心脏护理和临床诊断中发挥着突出和日益重要的作用。然而，迫切需要改进这些成像模式的性能，以充分利用其潜力。提出的目标是研究一种新的高分辨率核医学探测器。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Nuclear medicine imaging modalities such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are powerful, non-invasive medical imaging techniques that provide an image of the three dimensional distribution of a radionuclide in any slice through an organ under study in the body [Phelps]. These images allow investigation of metabolism in the region being studied and are a useful tool for understanding the functioning of the organs as well as diagnosing symptoms of diseases. Nuclear medicine is a very important modality in cardiac imaging, providing both diagnosis as well as prognosis. SPECT is commonly used in localizing coronary artery disease and as many as 90% of myocardial perfusion studies are now performed using SPECT. The role of PET in cardiac imaging is gradually expanding, particularly in the areas of detecting coronary artery disease (where it shows -10 to 15% higher accuracy then SPECT) and assessing myocardial viability [Gunn Bronson]. Recent developments in combining nuclear medicine with X-ray CT imaging provide better attenuation correction in cardiac imaging studies. It is clear that nuclear medicine technologies are playing a prominent and an increasingly important role in cardiac care and clinical diagnosis. However, there is urgent need for improvement in the performance of these imaging modalities in order to exploit their full potential. The goal of the proposed effort is to investigate a new high resolution detector for nuclear medicine.