Technical Equipment
The Center for Preclinical Molecular Imaging of the Department of Nuclear Medicine is equipped with the most modern techniques for high-resolution in vivo examinations with radiopharmaceuticals:
PET-CT
The Siemens Inveon PET-CT is a high-resolution hybrid system for integrated positron emission tomography and computer tomography in small animals.
In the coupled multimodal system, PET and CT components can either be docked or operated separately.
The PET component is equipped with highly sensitive and high-resolution 3rd generation LSO detectors and offers an axial field of view of 12.7 cm with a spatial resolution of 1.4 mm FWHM. Images are taken in 3D technology and in multi-parametric list mode.
The CT component includes a source with 80W and 35-80kVp and a 125 mm detector with a maximum resolution of 40 μm.
SPECT-CT
An eXplore speCZT CT 120 from General Electric (now: Trifoil Imaging) is used for combined single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT).
Powerful, innovative SPECT and CT components are integrated into the multimodal system.
The SPECT component is an innovative ring system equipped with highly sensitive 10 cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) semiconductor detectors. Five different slit and pinhole collimators are available for images with different resolutions and field of view sizes. An axial field of view of up to 8 cm can be covered and a spatial resolution of up to 1 mm FWHM can be achieved. Dynamic images and simultaneous multi-isotope images are possible.
The CT component includes a powerful source with up to 5 kW and 40-120 kVp, maximum resolution of 25 μm and an axial field of view of 55 to 275 mm. There is a time accuracy of < 1 ms for respiratory or cardiac-triggered images.
Further equipment
The two camera rooms are equipped with safety workbenches, mobile anesthesia systems with monitoring units, surgical microscopes, imaging chambers for recordings under controlled conditions, and systems for simultaneous measurement of the arterial tracer input function for optimal study execution.
In an additional laboratory room, techniques for ex vivo analysis are available, including a microtome for creating histological sections, phospho-imagers for autoradiography, gamma counters for biodistribution measurements and freezers for storage.
The center's own animal husbandry area is operated in close coordination with the central animal laboratory (ZTL) of the MHH and is used for temporary animal husbandry. Animals from the center are transported exclusively to and from the ZTL. The area meets the highest standards and is equipped with a safety cabinet and fully air-conditioned, individually ventilated IVC racks.
All PET, SPECT and CT raw data are stored in an internal MiniPACS from FAST and can be accessed via a local network.
Workstations with various software for quantitative image analysis are available in a separate evaluation and seminar room. Among others, Inveon Research Workplace (multimodal 3D representation, quantitative image analysis and kinetic analysis), PMOD (compartment modeling) and Munich Heart (quantitative and multimodal heart analysis) are used.