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

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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.************