High Resolution PET Detectors for Combined PET-MR Small Animal Imaging

描述（由申请人提供）：理想的生物成像系统将提供生命系统的非侵入性、高分辨率、高灵敏度、三维（3D）功能和解剖图像。正电子发射断层扫描（PET）通过使用靶向放射性标记探针，对一系列生物过程提供高灵敏度。不幸的是，由于PET的低空间分辨率和缺乏解剖信息，精确的信号定位非常困难。磁共振成像（MRI）可以提供高空间分辨率和良好的软组织对比度，但信号强度差导致灵敏度低。所提出的努力的总体目标是将PET和MR模式的最佳特征结合到一个单一的成像仪器中，该仪器将同时记录两种成像模式的数据。集成系统最直接的好处将是为PET研究提供高分辨率的解剖背景。这将有助于更好地全面了解PET信号的来源。“内配准”MR图像可用于计算PET图像中的散射和衰减，也可用于估计低分辨率PET扫描中的部分体积误差，从而有助于PET信号的量化。集成系统将开辟许多目前独立的PET和MRI扫描仪无法实现的机会。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ideal biological imaging system would provide non-invasive, high-resolution, high-sensitivity, three-dimensional (3D) functional and anatomic images of living systems. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) offers high sensitivity to a range of biological processes through the use of targeted radiolabeled probes. Unfortunately, precise signal localization can be extremely difficult due to low spatial resolution and the lack of anatomical information in PET. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can provide high spatial resolution and excellent soft tissue contrast, but suffers from poor signal strength leading to low sensitivity. The overall goal of the proposed effort is to combine the best features of PET and MR modalities for small animal studies into a single imaging instrument that will record data in both imaging modalities simultaneously. The most immediate benefit of the integrated system will be to provide high-resolution anatomical context for PET studies. This will lead to better overall understanding of the origin of the PET signals. The 'in-register' MR images may be used to compute scatter and attenuation in the PET images and also to estimate partial volume errors in the lower-resolution PET scans, thus aiding quantification of the PET signal. The integrated system will open up a number of opportunities not possible with current independent PET and MRI scanners.