A prototype for the world's first system capable of combining MRI and PET technology could represent a great leap forward in brain scanning techniques. The system has been developed by Siemens Medical Solutions with support from researchers at the University of Tennessee, USA and the University of Tubingen, Germany. The first pictures have been acquired at the Siemens facilities in USA.
The new technique combines the exceptional tissue contrast and structural specificity of MRI with PET's outstanding assessment of physiological and metabolic state. The two scans are performed simultaneously allowing doctors to assess levels of both cognitive impairment and tissue atrophy.
The technique could have implications in advancing the assessment and treatment of a number of neurological disorders as well as stroke and traumatic brain injury. Doctors will be able to study which brain tissue is salvageable after stroke and also treat TBI sufferers more quickly and efficiently by combining two scans in one.
Back