Positron emission tomography: a technical introduction for clinicians
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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

A Basic Positron Emission Tomography System Constructed to Locate a Radioactive Source in a Bi-dimensional Space
Published on: February 1, 2016
Jacobus A K Blokland1, Petar Trindev, Marcel P M Stokkel
1Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, C4Q Leiden University Medical Centre, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands. j.a.k.blokland@lumc.nl
Abstract:
Up to a few years ago, positron emission tomography (PET) was known as a very expensive research tool using positron emitting radiopharmaceuticals to study metabolic processes in vivo. Recent developments in detector technology enabled the detection of the distribution of positron emitting radionuclides inside the human body through dual-headed gamma camera systems. These much cheaper cameras did move the focus of PET from research to clinical applications. The improved availability of [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose has promoted clinical PET. Ongoing developments in detector and image reconstruction technology may lead to even more accurate imaging in the clinical setting. New applications in diagnosing and staging of cancer patients came across and more will arise. In this paper, we present a short historical overview and a technical introduction of PET.
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