Advances in Preclinical PET Instrumentation.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nuclear Medicine

Background:

• Growing demand for high-resolution, sensitive, and accessible PET scanners for laboratory rodent research.
• Need for understanding design constraints, advantages, and disadvantages of various PET scanner configurations.
• Importance of miniaturized PET systems in modern biomedical research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of preclinical PET scanners developed up to early 2020.
• To highlight innovations in instrumentation and geometrical designs of these scanners.
• To aid researchers in selecting and utilizing appropriate PET systems for their studies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific publications and technical reports on preclinical PET scanners.
• Analysis of different PET scanner designs, including detector technologies and geometrical arrangements.
• Evaluation of performance metrics such as resolvability and sensitivity.

Main Results:

• Overview of various dedicated PET scanner designs tailored for rodent imaging.
• Discussion of key innovations in detector materials, electronics, and system architectures.
• Identification of trends in geometrical configurations to optimize imaging performance.

Conclusions:

• Preclinical PET scanners have significantly advanced, offering enhanced capabilities for rodent research.
• Understanding design principles is crucial for optimizing performance and expanding applications.
• These miniaturized systems play a critical role in noninvasive screening of small structures and physiological processes.