ct

PET/CT

The CT Scan


The Siemens PET-CT system is a nuclear medicine technique which combines, in a single gantry, a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner and an x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner, to acquire sequential images from both devices in the same session, which are combined into a single superimposed (co-registered) image. Thus, functional imaging obtained by PET, which depicts the spatial distribution of metabolic or biochemical activity in the body can be more precisely aligned or correlated with anatomic imaging obtained by CT scanning.
ct-scan
Mouse CT-scan

The PET Technology


Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medical imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide (tracer), which is introduced into the body on a biologically active molecule.
In preclinical studies, PET imaging can be used for noninvasive detection and investigation of diseases in small animal models. Due to its absolute imaging quantification capabilities and superior sensitivity, PET has been the driving force of molecular imaging in the understanding of disease mechanisms. PET imaging has become a standard tool for diagnosis, treatment planning, and therapeutic efficacy monitoring in cancer patients. The Wohl Institute has a state-of-the-art Siemens Inveon PET/CT Multimodality System for laboratory animal PET and CT studies on a single integrated platform. The multimodality system fully integrates each modality into a common data acquisition system for automatic transition between modes and seamless coordination of CT and PET data acquisition.