High resolution positron emission tomography (PET) insert systems for multimodality PET/magnetic resonance imaging

正电子发射断层扫描(PET)是一种成像方式，通过成像放射性标记示踪剂的生物分布，可以在临床和临床前环境中在分子水平上对组织*功能进行非侵入性评估。许多PET成像示踪剂的高度特异性导致图像中几乎没有解剖信息，这使得很难将示踪剂摄取指定到特定的*组织，并使图像的解释和分析变得复杂。这个问题的解决方案是将PET与解剖成像相结合，最初是X射线计算机断层扫描(CT)，最近是磁共振成像(MR)。将PET与MR集成用于临床前混合*PET/MR成像可以通过使用*PET插入物来高效完成，该插入物可以安装在现有高场MR系统的内孔中，并且*可以与MR同时操作。在上一个资金周期中，我们*团队使用新的MR兼容硅光探测器和多层*闪烁体阵列成功地开发和部署了用于小动物*PET/MR成像的*PET/MR插入物，以在紧凑的环直径*PET系统中保持空间分辨率。用于临床前成像的PET植入系统现在正变得*商业化，包括一种基于我们通过*一家加拿大公司商业化的设计的系统。*在这项应用中，我将建立我们在小动物PET/MR植入系统方面的专业知识，以实现我的长期目标，即创造硬件和软件技术，使*能够在临床前小动物研究和人类神经成像*应用中使用PET/MR混合成像作为常规成像方式。为了实现这一目标，我的研究*计划的短期目标包括三个主题：i)算法和硬件*，以推进临床前PET/MR成像；ii)下一代PET插入系统的探测器开发；以及iii)创造技术，以促进和*自动化小动物PET/MR成像。*这些研究目标为电气工程、生物医学工程和医学物理学的研究生和本科生创造了多学科*培训机会。与临床前动物成像和临床成像级别的成像系统的最终用户以及制造*成像系统的行业合作伙伴密切合作，促进新技术的快速测试和部署，整合*用户对修订的反馈，以及新设备的技术转换途径。*

Positron emission*tomography (PET) is an imaging modality that allows non-invasive assessment of tissue*function at the molecular level in both clinical and preclinical settings*through imaging the biodistribution of radioactively labelled tracers. The high*specificity of many PET imaging tracers results in images with little anatomical*information, making it difficult to assign the tracer uptake to specific*tissues and complicating the interpretation and analysis of the images. The*solution to this problem has been to integrate PET with an anatomical imaging*modality, initially X-ray computed tomography (CT) and more recently, magnetic*resonance (MR) imaging. Integration of PET with MR for preclinical hybrid*PET/MR imaging of small animals can be efficiently accomplished through using a*PET insert that fits within the bore of an existing high field MR system and*can operate simultaneously with the MR. During the previous funding cycle, our*group successfully developed and deployed such an insert for small animal*PET/MR imaging using new MR compatible silicon photodetectors and a multi-layer*scintillator array to preserve spatial resolution in the compact ring diameter*PET system. PET insert systems for preclinical imaging are now becoming*commercially available, including one based on our design commercialized through*a Canadian company.******In this application I will build on our*expertise in PET insert systems for small animal PET/MR to achieve my long*term objective of creating hardware and software technologies that*enable the use of hybrid PET/MR imaging with PET inserts as a routine imaging*modality in preclinical small animal research studies and in human neuroimaging*application. To achieve this goal, the short term objectives of my research*program detailed in this proposal cover three themes: i) algorithms and hardware*to advance preclinical PET/MR imaging; ii) detector development for next*generation PET insert systems; and iii) creating technologies to facilitate and*automate small animal PET/MR imaging.******These research objectives create multi-disciplinary*training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students from Electrical*Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics. Close collaboration*with both end users of imaging systems at the preclinical animal imaging and*clinical imaging levels, together with industrial partners that manufacture*imaging systems, facilitates rapid testing and deployment of new technologies, integration*of user feedback for revisions and a path for technology translation of new devices.************