From X-ray astronomy to gamma scintigraphy: a high resolution gamma camera for medical imaging

从 X 射线天文学到伽马闪烁扫描：用于医学成像的高分辨率伽马相机

• 批准号: G0802647/1
• 负责人: John Lees
• 金额: $ 10.5万
• 依托单位: University of Leicester
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2009 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0802647%2F1
• 关键词: ray; astronomy; gamma; scintigraphy; resolution

Current nuclear imaging facilities use large fixed devices located in imaging departments making procedures at the bedside, in operating theatres, clinics or intensive care units extremely difficult. These ?standard? whole body gamma cameras can normally only resolve objects bigger than 6mm which limits there diagnosis capabilities for many medical applications.Over the last few years we have been developing gamma cameras based on new technology that was originally developed for X-ray astronomy. Recently we have developed a new type of gamma camera that offers high spatial resolution imaging, enabling small objects around ~ 1 mm be clearly seen.During the last 10 years a number of applications have emerged using nuclear medicine in operating theatres and intensive care units. In particular, the concept of sentinel node biopsy has been developed to help determine the best treatment for cancer patients. Sentinel node imaging via lymphoscintigraphy has become an important technique for determining the stage of cancer and, in particular, whether the disease has spread from the primary tumour to the lymphatic system. Many UK hospitals are assessing the sensitivity of sentinel node mapping in a range of cancers. For this procedure to be successful it is necessary to identify the sentinel node pre-operatively. Our technology offers the potential for a low-cost, high-performance method of imaging the sentinel node. Our camera would also be useful for the imaging of small organs such as the thyroid and skeletal joints (knees, ankles, elbows).Our portable device will offer healthcare benefits by providing patients and medical teams with versatile, point-of-care technology. Such cameras would be clinically useful for radio-guided surgery, sentinel node detection and imaging small parts such as the eye and thyroid and would also find applications in gastroenterology.

目前的核成像设施使用位于成像部门的大型固定设备，使得床边、手术室、诊所或重症监护室的手术极其困难。这些？标准？全身伽马相机通常只能分辨大于 6 毫米的物体，这限制了许多医疗应用的诊断能力。在过去的几年里，我们一直在开发基于最初为 X 射线天文学开发的新技术的伽马相机。最近，我们开发了一种新型伽马相机，可提供高空间分辨率成像，能够清晰地看到约 1 毫米左右的小物体。在过去 10 年中，核医学在手术室和重症监护室中出现了许多应用。特别是，前哨淋巴结活检的概念已被开发出来，以帮助确定癌症患者的最佳治疗方法。通过淋巴闪烁扫描进行前哨淋巴结成像已成为确定癌症分期的重要技术，特别是确定疾病是否已从原发肿瘤扩散到淋巴系统。许多英国医院正在评估前哨淋巴结定位在一系列癌症中的敏感性。为了使该过程成功，有必要在术前识别前哨节点。我们的技术提供了一种低成本、高性能的前哨节点成像方法的潜力。我们的相机还可用于甲状腺和骨骼关节（膝盖、脚踝、肘部）等小器官的成像。我们的便携式设备将为患者和医疗团队提供多功能的即时护理技术，从而提供医疗保健效益。这种相机在临床上可用于无线电引导手术、前哨淋巴结检测以及眼睛和甲状腺等小部位的成像，并且还将在胃肠病学中找到应用。