Ultrahigh-Resolution Transformable Clinical PET Camera

描述(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，并扩大PET在临床、研究和肿瘤学分子成像中的应用。提出了一种新型聚酯的发展方向。这种PET具有超高的图像分辨率(2.2-2.6 mm)，比目前的临床PET(4.5 mm)高，并具有可变形的配置，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)高灵敏度乳房模式和(D)超大型放射治疗计划模式。这种聚酯的生产成本将低于典型的商业聚酯。专用乳腺模式的符合检测灵敏度是常规PET的13-26倍，图像分辨率为2.2 mm，用于早期检测乳腺小肿瘤和多病变疾病。对于脑成像，Brain模式的图像分辨率为2.2 mm，检测灵敏度提高了4倍，具有超大的21 cm轴向视场，可同时成像大脑和颈动脉(通过超高分辨率实现图像中的动脉输入功能)。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)早期发现小至2-3毫米的原发、转移和复发肿瘤，(B)更早地确定癌症对治疗的反应，(C)更准确地量化肿瘤的功能，(D)促进用于癌症研究的定量示踪动力学模型，以及(E)1-2分钟快速乳房成像，以便于对高危年轻女性进行乳房筛查和乳房检查。这种高灵敏度、超高分辨率的小模式将适用于动物模型，例如基因工程小鼠。这项拟议的PET将使用(A)我们在NIH支持下开发的超高分辨率、低成本的探测器设计，(B)在NIH支持下为超高分辨率探测器开发的高速PET电子设备(显著减少图像伪影)，以及(C)NIH支持的最新可变形PET概念研究的结果。为了证明(A)超高分辨率探测器的概念和(B)可变形的PET概念的理论有效性和工程可行性，已经开发了一个缩小的PET原型。这项申请旨在通过4大笔RO1赠款，收获8年的技术开发和NIH资金，所有这些都旨在开发拟议的超高分辨率可变形PET。有了这种全尺寸的PET，可以进行临床/人体测试，以测试可变形PET的多功能，专用小型PET对脑、头颈部和乳房成像的用处，以及超高分辨率PET成像的用处。

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.