Development and Validation of a combined PET/MRI Scanner for Biomedical Research

多模态成像是生物医学研究和临床诊断的新兴领域。虽然PET/CT已经建立，但该拨款提案侧重于下一代成像方式：正电子发射断层扫描和磁共振成像（PET/MRI）。PET/MRI的潜力不限于显示PET/CT中的顺序形态MR和功能PET信息，而是允许同时和多功能数据采集，包括MR波谱和功能MRI。我们已经开发了一个原型的小动物PET/MRI，并表明，PET扫描仪可以建立在一种方式，以尽量减少两个成像系统之间的相互干扰。第一个动物研究显示了这种新型多模态成像设备的潜力。在该提案中，我们希望更进一步，开发一种MRI兼容的小动物PET扫描仪，该扫描仪位于7 T磁体内，其性能可与商业最先进的动物PET系统相媲美，具有大直径和大轴向视野，允许全身小鼠和大鼠成像。将探索并调整专用MR成像序列，以允许使用安装在7 T扫描仪中的PET插入物进行MR灌注测量和光谱分析。此外，特别强调的是，这两个成像系统的性能是完全保持。该提案还包括在肿瘤学领域进行广泛的动物研究，以开发和建立新型同步PET/MR成像方案，并充分探索PET/MR组合在肿瘤学研究领域的潜力。

Multimodality imaging is an emerging field in both, biomedical research and clinical diagnosis. While PET/CT is already established, this grant proposal focuses on the next generation of imaging modalities: combined positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI). The potential of PET/MRI is not limited to revealing sequentially morphological MR and functional PET information as in PET/CT but allows simultaneous and multi-functional data acquisition, including MR spectroscopy and functional MRI. We have developed a prototype small animal PET/MRI and showed that the PET scanner can be built in a way to minimize mutual inference between the two imaging systems. First animal studies showed the potential of this new multimodality imaging device. Within this proposal, we want to go a step further and develop a MRI compatible small animal PET scanner, which goes inside a 7T magnet, with a performance comparable to commercial state-of-the-art animal PET systems, having a large diameter and large axial field of view to allow whole body mouse and rat imaging. Dedicated MR imaging sequences will be explored and adapted to allow MR perfusion measurements and spectroscopy with the PET insert installed in the 7T scanner. Furthermore special emphasis is taken that the performance of both imaging systems is fully maintained. The proposal include also extensive animal studies in the field of oncology to develop and establish novel synchronous PET/MR imaging protocols and to fully explore the potential of combined PET/MR in the realm of oncology research.