PubMed HealthSearch

PubMed · 8372293

[Positron-emission tomography (PET)--basic considerations].

Abstract

A PET installation is a technically complex system composed essentially of two parts. The first consists in isotope production and synthesis of labeled biochemical compounds, the second in measuring the distribution of radioactivity in the body with the PET camera and the generation of image data. The specific advantage of PET lies on one hand in the use of positron emitters that are isotopes of ubiquitous elements in biologic matter, i.e. exact analogs of biomolecules can be produced and utilized and on the other hand quantification is possible. (= enable quantitative...?) Theoretically there are no limits for the synthesis of radioactive compounds and the method therefore provides unlimited test designs. The short half-life of the employed isotopes is advantageous for radioprotection reasons but the production of labeled compounds necessitates a cyclotron accelerator and a special laboratory for the handling of radioactive compounds rendering the production of the test substances relatively expensive. Measurements take place in a PET camera with a large number of coincidence detectors. The best available cameras have a spatial resolution of 5 mm in all three axes with an axial window of about 15 cm diameter. Evaluation of PET images is done in a qualitative way by superposition on anatomic images (CT, MRI) by image fusion. Quantitative determinations require elaborate computer modeling.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

G K von Schulthess, G Westera, P A Schubiger. 1993-08-24. [Positron-emission tomography (PET)--basic considerations].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8372293/

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

A dual-trap design and its applications in electrospray ionization FTICR mass spectrometry.

A new arrangement consisting of two separate Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) ion traps was used to develop methods for the manipulation of the ions produced by an electrospray ionization source (ESI). A first, "accumulation" trap, is generally maintained at a higher pressure than the second, high-performance "analyzer" trap. The manipulations developed and demonstrated include the following: (1) mass-selective ion transfers between the traps; (2) mass-selective step-wise accumulation of low-abundance ions of different mass-to-charge ratios transferred from the first trap to the analyzer trap; (3) simultaneous detection of ions in the analyzer trap and ion accumulation in the source trap; (4) simultaneous ion detection in the accumulation trap and ion storage in the analyzer trap; (5) sequential multiple transfers of the ions into the analyzer trap from the same ion population stored in the accumulation trap; (6) collision-induced dissociation of ions stored in the accumulation trap followed by mass-selective transfer of the product ions into the analyzer trap; (7) sequential transfer of the ions of different mass-to-charge ratios into the analyzer trap from the same ion population stored in the accumulation trap followed by the collision-induced dissociation of transferred ions in the analyzer trap. These ion manipulations benefit multistage studies and are projected to be useful in many biochemical applications of ESI-FTICR, including structural determination of biopolymers and study of noncovalent complexes.

Cyclotrons

Dose equivalents to neutron therapy facility staff due to induced activation.

The sources of the induced activity from the d(48.5)+Be fast neutron therapy beam of the Harper Hospital superconducting cyclotron have been investigated. The distribution of activity in the treatment room was measured, and the levels of dose equivalent to the staff were established. Activation spectra were measured with a high purity RE-Ge detector. Peaks corresponding to 28Al, 56Mn, 24Na, 64Cu, 66Cu, and 187W were present in the spectra. The dose equivalents due to the induced activation were measured by means of an ionization chamber type survey meter at six locations in the room. Irradiations of 120 monitor units were given at 15-min intervals, thus simulating the clinical situation. The measurements were made between the irradiations. The highest levels were registered around the treatment head. Two patterns are clearly distinguishable in these measurements. A fast decaying component with approximately 2 min half-life can be ascribed predominantly to 28Al and a slow growing component reaching saturation after about 4-5 treatments is associated with the presence of 56Mn. For uniform treatment load the activation build-up in each location was similar every day of the week with minimal values measured after the week end shut down. Personnel monitoring is achieved with dosimeters capable of detecting an extended range of neutron energies as well as beta rays and photons. Correlation between the number of fields treated and the doses to the radiation therapy technologists was shown. The mean dose equivalent received by the therapists is 7.1 +/- 0.2 microSv per treatment field. Means of reducing personnel dose equivalent levels are proposed.

Cyclotrons

Molecular weight determination of plasmid DNA using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Ionization and molecular weight (MW) determination of megadalton size plasmid DNA has been achieved using electrospray ionization (ESI) with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry. DNA molecules were shown to remain intact through electrospray ionization by collection on a specially prepared surface, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Individual highly charged ions of plasmid DNA produced by ESI were trapped in an FTICR cell for up to several hours and reacted with acetic acid to induce charge state shifts. Measurements of mass-to-charge ratios for these multiple peaks arising from charge state shifting give MW measurements of individual ions with an average accuracy of 0.2%. The MW distribution was obtained by measurements for a number of individual ions from the same sample [plasmid DNA: pGEM-5S MW(cal) = 1.946 MDa], yielding a MW(obs) of 1.95 +/- 0.07 MDa for ions clustered in the vicinity of the expected MW.

Cyclotrons