Contemporaneous positron emission tomography and MR imaging at 1.5 T

Simultaneous acquisition of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) images using an MR-compatible PET system will obviate the need for image registration and will allow unique studies of structure and function of living organisms in one setting. Here we report on simultaneous acquisition of PET and MR images on a clinical 1.5 T system using a 54 mm diameter prototype MR-compatible PET system (McPET). Phantom experiments were performed in order to determine the effect of the McPET system on MR images. The results demonstrated the system to be fully MR compatible, in both its detector head construction and operation. The McPET construction offers a promising method for design of a large-scale MR-compatible PET system that will be useful in functional studies of the brain.