Project description
Cost-effective positron-emission tomography scanner for early diagnosis
The shift towards prevention in medicine is driving the demand for advanced imaging technologies like positron-emission tomography (PET). Long-axial PET scanners over 1 metre, particularly those incorporating Time-of-Flight (TOF) technology, offer promising solutions. Leveraging prompt Cherenkov photons could further enhance timing resolution in PET imaging. The ERC-funded CherPET project aims to develop a novel type of PET detector. This detector will integrate large-area, fast photon detectors with low-noise, fast-timing electronics to improve performance. The goal is to create a cost-effective PET scanner. If successful, it could significantly bolster PET’s application in cancer diagnosis, early detection of neurodegenerative and cardiac diseases, and treatment monitoring, marking an advancement in medical imaging.
Objective
The paradigm shift in medicine from the treatment of acute or advanced disease to very early diagnosis and even prevention in cancer, as well as in personalized treatment, puts more stringent requirements on positron-emission (PET) imaging both in terms of sensitivity as well as specificity. Novel long axial PET scanners with an axial field of view that can be greater than 1m offer a very attractive solution to many of these challenges, in particular if they are combined with the Time-of-flight (TOF) PET technology. The time-of-flight resolution of PET scanners is limited by the timing spread due to delayed scintillation emission. By using prompt Cherenkov photons instead, the coincidence timing resolution can be improved. We propose to prove the feasibility of the above idea by combining a set of our break-through innovation steps, latest advances in photon detection with large area fast photon detectors and in the low-noise fast timing electronics. The PET detector that we would develop in the proposed project would allow for a construction of a PET scanner at a lower cost, better performance and ease of handling, if compared with the state-of-the-art clinical devices. If successful, our technology will represent a major leap in the use of PET for cancer diagnosis, staging, restaging, prodromal detection of neurodegenerative and cardiac diseases as well as treatment guidance and monitoring.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-POC2
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.