A simultaneous PET/MR system for whole body imaging

我们计划开发一种高性能的全身正电子发射断层扫描（PET）系统，该系统可以插入磁共振（MR）系统中同时进行PET/MR成像，而不会降低两个系统的性能。PET系统将被配置为一个内径约52厘米、轴向尺寸约20厘米的环，适用于直径为60厘米的整体3T MR系统。NSERC的财政支持将帮助我们建立必要的基础设施和整个系统的三分之一用于原理验证。拟议的全身PET/MR与以前的设计之间存在显著的技术差异。首先，PET探测器是基于硅光电倍增管（sipm），并表现出优越的性能。其次，使用激光二极管的电光耦合方案，以尽量减少两个系统之间的潜在干扰。如果成功，这一提议将导致一个真正同步的PET/MR全身成像混合系统。除了PET/CT的优势之外，MR的解剖信息和PET的功能/分子信息的多样性将为癌症筛查/分期、心脏成像、治疗监测和阿尔茨海默病的表征等疾病诊断、预后和治疗提供新的范例。该系统将帮助医生在早期发现疾病，提高特异性，并更有效地管理治疗计划。我们相信PET/MR同步系统最终会对加拿大医疗技术的进步和生活质量的提高产生巨大的影响。通过与工业伙伴的合作，还有望从商业化和技术许可中获得经济效益。

We plan to develop a high performance whole body Positron Emission Tomography (PET) system that can be inserted into an Magnetic Resonance (MR) system for simultaneous PET/MR imaging without performance degradation for both systems. The PET system will be configured as a ring of approximately 52 cm inner diameter and 20 cm axial dimension that fits within a whole body 3T MR system of 60 cm diameter bore. The NSERC financial support will help us build the necessary infrastructures and a 1/3rd of the full system for proof-of-principle. There are significant technology differences between the proposed whole body PET/MR and previous designs. First, the PET detectors are based upon silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and exhibit superior performances. Second, an electro-optically coupling scheme using laser diodes is deployed to minimize potential interferences between two systems. If successful, this proposal will lead to a truly simultaneous PET/MR hybrid system for whole body imaging. In addition to the benefits of PET/CT, the multiplicity of MR's anatomical information and PET's functional/molecular information will enable new paradigms for diseases diagnosis, prognosis and treatment in cancer screening/staging, cardiac imaging, therapy monitoring, and characterization of Alzheimer's disease. The proposed system will help physicians to detect diseases in the early stage with increase specificity and manage treatment plans more effectively. We believe that a simultaneous PET/MR system could ultimately make great impacts for advancing healthcare technology and improving quality of life in Canada. Economic benefits from commercialization and technology licensing through collaboration with industry partners are also expected.