University of Tübingen and Mediso Enter Into a Collaboration to Develop a Preclinical PET Insert for Simultaneous Acquisition in High Field MRI Systems

TÜBINGEN, Germany, February 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

University of Tübingen and Mediso Ltd announced today at the 4^th Tübingen PET/MR Workshop to enter into a collaboration to develop a whole body preclinical PET insert based on silicon photomultiplier sensor technology. This system can be inserted into a high field (7T) preclinical MRI scanner to enable simultaneous PET/MR imaging.

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Without a doubt, combination of these non-invasive imaging techniques, positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is advancing the field of molecular imaging and it is entering as a standard research tool in oncology, neurology, inflammation, and drug development. Although several PET/MRI prototype systems have been developed for preclinical imaging, commercial systems for simultaneous PET/MRI are not yet available.

"This new sensor technology allows to move the PET ring inside a high field MRI machine and acquire PET data during MRI scans simultaneously, while minimising any compromise on PET sensitivity and overall image quality," says Professor Bernd Pichler, head of the Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy.

"This new PET detector module is optimized for whole body preclinical imaging with sub-millimeter spatial resolution," says Istvan Bagamery, managing director of Mediso Ltd. Although the new detector debuts as an insert, it will also replace the conventional PET detectors in the nanoScan products. "In addition, the new detector complements very well our new range of MRI products based on cryogen-free technology, therefore it serves as a basis for our next generation pre-clinical PET/MRI and PET/CT products."

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen is one of Europe's oldest universities with more than 400 full professors and 4000 academic staff. Within the Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, the Werner Siemens Imaging Center focuses on the research related to PET and PET/MRI detector development, radiotracer and fluorescence biomarker development as well as imaging research in various biomedical fields such as oncology, neurology, inflammation, infectious disease and cardiology.

Mediso Ltd. works in the field of nuclear and molecular imaging focusing on development, manufacturing, sales and servicing of multi-modality in-vivo imaging systems. It offers complete solutions from hardware design to quantification software, both for clinical patient care and high-level life science research. The nanoScan^® family is the first-line choice for preclinical imaging including the world's first integrated preclinical SPECT/MRI and PET/MRI systems and SPECT/CT and PET/CT combinations.

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Gábor Németh, Program Director, Preclinical Imaging
E-mail: [email protected]
Mobile: +36(30)9000-933

SOURCE Mediso Medical Imaging Systems