Detailed simulation studies performed of the full final system, with PET panel detector dimensions of 256x256 mm, demonstrate higher sensitivities (in the order of 2%) than most whole-body commercial systems (around 1%), allowing real time imaging of the organs for image guided interventions and therapy.
Furthermore, the “Open Imaging” PET system developed has obtained excellent TOF resolution (below 180ps) in the laboratory. The introduction of TOF information increases the effective system’s sensitivity, through Signal to Noise Ratio improvement, and compensates for the limited angle tomography of the two-panel system.
“Open Imaging” PET has several potential clinical impacts:
• Allows performing interventional and clinical procedures such as Radio or Proton therapy, biopsy, ablations, paediatric imaging, personalised therapy, post-therapy assessment, etc. PET imaging can give a very accurate tissue biopsy of the active parts of cancer, avoiding false negatives from standard biopsy procedures.
• Adaptive PET geometry to patient anatomy, optimizing system sensitivity (image quality) and improving patient comfort.
• Compatible with multiple organs, breast, chest wall, axilla, heart, prostate.
• Reduced administered radiotracer dose (20%) and shorter scan time (2-3 min) thanks to higher sensitivity. This translates into patient comfort and faster imaging capability, significantly increasing the number of patients scanned per year, shortening the waiting lists.
• Allows imaging breast in different directions: anteroposterior oblique, craniocaudal, mediolateral, oblique mediolateral, lateromedial, oblique lateromedial, chest wall and axilla, thus covering all breast sites and for most of the world's populations.
• The small size of the system makes it easy to deploy and portable, as it does not require large spaces for installation. A cost reduction will be possible due to silicon photosensors and proprietary signal reduction electronics (Patent ES2939157A1).
• Avoids claustrophobia in patients thanks to its open geometry and reduces patient-size dependence.
• Facilitates new approaches in image reconstruction due to outstanding TOF resolution, such as the combined estimation of emission and attenuation, reducing limited-angle artefacts, in partial-ring and non-cylindrical systems.
• Allows classification of complex lesions and therapeutic follow-up.
• Guides to localize a target: Biopsy of non-visualized lesions or heterogeneous lesions.
• Allows validation of new molecular imaging PET tracers with pathology.
• Provides tissue analysis to confirm a target has been reached.
