The first combined PET-MRI scanner in Europe, and only the second in the world, has been installed at The University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
The PET-MRI scanner, which has been developed by Philips, combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI or IRM in French) and positron emission tomography (PET) into one unit, allowing accurate combination of the two imaging modalities and giving new possibilities for medical imaging.
Development
The scanner was developed in just over a year by Philips with the Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. There, Dr Zahi Fayad and his team have been studying applications in cardiovascular imaging.
They found that the quality of the MR-PET images allows a better visualization and quantification of the vascular beds (mainly aorta and carotids). Also, the use of MRI-PET scanners instead of PET/CT (the current popular combined modality scanner), reduces the extra radiation dose to the patient and gives higher soft tissue contrast, allowing better visualization and understanding of the patient's underlying disease.
Further PET-MRI scanners will be installed in Dresden, Madrid and Sao Paulo over the next year. The five sites will be studying the scanner's application in breast, prostate, head and neck cancers, and cardiology. Philips is looking for sites that could study infectious diseases and diabetic foot using the scanner.
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