Ultrahigh-Resolution Transformable Clinical PET Camera

项目描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的长期目标是提高PET的图像分辨率、图像质量和生产成本，并拓宽PET在肿瘤学临床、研究和分子成像中的应用。提出了开发新型PET的设想。该PET的图像分辨率（2.2-2.6 mm）高于当前临床PET（4.5 mm），可转换配置包括：（a）高灵敏度脑/动物1模式，（B）全身肿瘤定位/分期模式，（c）高灵敏度乳腺模式和（d）超大放射治疗计划模式。PET的生产成本将低于典型的商业PET。专用乳腺模式的符合检测灵敏度比常规PET高13-26倍，图像分辨率为2.2 mm，可用于早期检测小型乳腺肿瘤和多病灶疾病。对于脑成像，脑模式的图像分辨率为2.2 mm，检测灵敏度高4倍，具有超大的21 cm轴向视场，可同时对脑和颈动脉进行成像（用于在图像中获得由高分辨率实现的动脉输入功能）。该项目的健康应用目标是通过以下方式提高癌症诊断和研究的准确性：（a）早期检测小至2-3 mm的原发性、转移性和复发性肿瘤，（B）早期确定癌症对治疗的反应，（c）更准确地量化肿瘤的功能，（d）促进癌症研究的定量示踪动力学建模，以及（e）1-2分钟快速乳房成像，以便于对高危年轻妇女进行乳房筛查和乳房检查。高灵敏度、高分辨率的小模式对于动物模型是有用的，例如，基因工程小鼠该建议的PET将使用（a）我们在NIH支持下开发的100分辨率、低成本探测器设计，（B）在NIH支持下开发的用于100分辨率探测器的高速PET电子设备（可显著减少图像伪影），以及（c）NIH支持的最新可转换PET概念研究的结果。一个缩小的原型PET已被开发，以证明（a）的分辨率探测器的概念，和（B）的理论有效性和工程可行性的可变换的PET概念。该申请旨在通过4个大型RO 1赠款获得8年的技术开发和NIH资金，所有这些赠款都旨在开发拟议的可转换PET分辨率。利用这种全尺寸PET，可以进行临床/人体测试以测试可变换PET的多功能性、专用小型PET用于脑、头和颈以及乳房成像的有用性以及高分辨率PET成像的有用性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of the project is to improve the image resolution, image quality, and production cost of PET and to broaden PET's applications in clinical, research and molecular imaging in oncology. The development of a new type of PET is proposed. This PET has an ultrahigh image resolution (2.2-2.6 mm) over current clinical PET (4.5 mm) and a transformable configuration including: (a) a high-sensitivity brain/animal1 mode, (b) a whole-body tumor localization/staging mode, (c) a high-sensitivity breast mode and (d) an extra large radiation treatment planning mode. The production cost of the PET would be less than that of a typical commercial PET. The dedicated breast mode has 13-26 times higher coincidence-detection sensitivity than regular PET's, and an image resolution of 2.2 mm, for early detection of small breast tumors and multi-lesion diseases. For brain imaging, the brain mode has an image resolution of 2.2 mm, a 4x higher detection sensitivity with an extra large 21 cm axial-field-of-view for concurrent imaging of the brain and carotid arteries (for obtaining arterial input function in the image enabled by the ultrahigh resolution). The health application aims of the project are to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis and research by (a) early detection of primary, metastatic and recurrent tumors as small as 2-3 mm, (b) determining the response of cancer to treatment earlier, (c) quantifying more accurately the functions of tumors, (d) facilitate quantitative tracer-kinetic modeling for cancer research, and (e) 1-2 minute fast breast imaging to facilitate breast screening for high risk young women and breast exams. The high-sensitivity, ultrahigh resolution small mode would be useful for animal models, e.g., genetically engineered mice. This proposed PET will use (a) an ultrahigh resolution, lower-cost detector design developed by us under NIH support, (b) a high speed PET electronics (that significantly reduce image artifacts) developed with NIH support for the ultrahigh resolution detectors, and (c) the results of the latest transformable-PET concept studies supported by NIH. A scaled-down prototype PET has been developed to demonstrate (a) the ultrahigh resolution detector concept, and (b) the theoretical validity and engineering feasibility of the transformable PET concept. This application aims to harvest 8 years of technology development and NIH funding through 4 large RO1 grants, all targeted for developing the proposed ultrahigh resolution transformable PET. With this full-size PET, clinical/human tests can be performed to test the multifunctionality of a transformable PET, the usefulness of dedicated small PET's for brain, head and neck, and breast imaging, and the usefulness of ultrahigh resolution PET imaging.