Invention:
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a gamma-ray photon counting device that works similarly to PET, but with a novel architecture that improves the accuracy and speed in determining the location of the biological targets, and is less costly to manufacture.
Background:
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a common and reliable medical imaging technology, able to monitor metabolism or the presence of certain biological molecules in body tissues. The sensitivity is several orders of magnitude higher than MRI, CT, or SPECT; however, there remain artifacts in determining the precise location of the biological targets within a sample, caused by the positron range and non-collinearity effect. Furthermore, the cost of manufacturing the required pixelated crystals for PET is high.
Advantages:
- No positron range or non-collinearity artifacts
- Greater accuracy for location of biological targets
- Lower manufacturing costs; no need for pixelated crystals
- No pixel decoding required
Applications:
- Medical imaging of biological targets
- Locating target molecules
- Monitoring metabolism
Status: issued U.S. patent #11,385,362 and #11,819,346
