VECTor: a preclinical imaging system for simultaneous submillimeter SPECT and PET

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Nuclear Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Current PET and SPECT imaging systems require separate setups for high-resolution imaging.
• Simultaneous imaging of different radiotracers is limited, hindering comprehensive biological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel Versatile Emission Computed Tomography (VECTor) system for simultaneous high-resolution imaging of PET and SPECT tracers.
• To enable integrated, multi-modal functional imaging of biological systems.

Main Methods:

• A novel cylindric collimator with 162 pinholes was integrated into an existing SPECT system (U-SPECT-II).
• The system utilizes statistical image reconstruction to correct for energy-dependent blurring.
• Simultaneous acquisition of gamma photons from both positron-electron annihilation and single-photon emitters onto the same detectors.

Main Results:

• Achieved submillimeter resolution for both PET (<0.8 mm) and SPECT (0.5 mm) tracers simultaneously.
• SPECT image quality was minimally affected by the presence of PET tracers, even at higher concentrations.
• Demonstrated simultaneous acquisition of registered 3D and 4D functional images from living mice.

Conclusions:

• The VECTor system provides simultaneous, high-resolution complementary information from SPECT and PET tracers.
• This integrated imaging capability opens new avenues for studying biological systems in rodents.
• Enables novel perspectives in preclinical research through combined functional imaging.