SNM Preview: Advancing Molecular Imaging

Nearly 4,000 physicians, scientists, pharmacists and technologists are expected to meet in New Orleans this week, starting on Saturday when the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) convenes its 55th Annual Meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. More than 1,600 scientific, technologist and technologist-student abstracts will be presented featuring the latest research in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine.

New featured events this year include the Joint SNM/U.S. Pharmacopoeia Symposium on Saturday from 8 am–4 pm; an NCI Workshop titled “Use of PET/CT in the Clinic and Clinical Trials,” organized by the National Cancer Institute, on Saturday from 8 am–4 pm; and Novel Approaches to Molecular Imaging. Investigators will present new scientific research in molecular imaging, including sessions on non-radioactive molecular imaging agents, techniques and multi-modality approaches.

Other highlighted events include:

Sunday, June 15th

• 8:30-10 am: Henry Wagner Lectureship—“Personalized Therapies: Opportunities and Challenges for Nuclear Medicine,” by Richard L. Wahl, MD, director of nuclear medicine/PET and vice chair of radiology for new technology and business development at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
   
• 10 am–7:30 pm: Molecular Imaging Gateway (Open Saturday through Tuesday)—features new technologies and applications of molecular imaging.
   
• 10 am–5 pm: Info SNM (Open every day of the conference)—Interactive computer presentations and educational sessions on the novel applications of computers and information science in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine will be on display.

Monday, June 16th

• 8:00–9:30 am: Cassen Lectureship—In his lecture “Genomic Biomarkers for Molecular Imaging: Predicting the Future,” Mathew L. Thakur, PhD, will discuss advances in genomics and proteomics that are shedding new light on the genesis of many diseases. As a result, molecular imaging is poised to play a pivotal role in the management of diseases and health.

Tuesday, June 17th

6:30 am-8am: “Gaining Clinical Utility: Insights into SPECT*CT,” an educational breakfast symposium sponsored by Molecular Imaging Insight magazine featuring sessions by Homer Macapinlac, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center; Frank Bengel, MD, of Johns Hopkins; and Brad Hellwig of Crouse Hospital, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Grand Ballroom A. (SNM badge required.)

• 11:30 am–12 pm: SNM’s incoming president, Robert W. Atcher, PhD, will discuss his vision for SNM and the future of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.

Wednesday, June 18th

• 11:30 am–1 pm: Highlights Lecture, summarizing current trends in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine by Henry H. Wagner Jr., Johns Hopkins University.

On the exhibit show floor, a variety of new products and enhancements are debuting and being featured. Here is a preview.

 

Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation (Booth 221) is highlighting its initiation of Fluorine-18 production, a first in a series of isotopes that AMIC has begun manufacturing at its Kennewick, Wash.-based production facility. The company is utilizing its compact linear accelerator designed for the production of medical isotopes used in PET imaging, as well as featuring other diagnostic and therapeutic medical isotopes.

Capintec (Booth 1355) is unveiling two new products at SNM—Captus 3000 Emergency Population Screening System (Captus 3000 EPSS) and CapIMAGE Small Field of View Gamma Camera System.

CapIMAGE, designed for imaging small organs and body parts including the thyroid, parathyroid, extremities and gated cardiac studies, provides a small footprint with a highly versatile detector. The system also allows detailed images with rapid acquisition, processing and data storage via DICOM connectivity.

The Captus 3000 EPSS combines Capintec’s Captus 3000 Thyroid Uptake system with software designed for rapid emergency population screening and quantification of internal organ contamination associated with a radiologic event. The light, portable stand easily folds for transport. The Captus 3000 protocol module allows users to develop customized measurement and calculation protocols using predefined Captus 3000 input, measurement and report screens that are integrated with Excel spreadsheet functions.

Covidien (Booth 1055) is featuring its Octreoscan kit for the preparation of Indium (In-111) pentetreotide, a molecular imaging agent for the scintigraphic localization of primary and metastatic neuroendocrine tumors bearing somatostatin receptors.  

Covidien also is introducing the “Clinical Atlas of Neuroendocrine Tumor Imaging Applications,” a new CD-ROM Atlas that offers 26 neuroendocrine tumor case studies, patient preparation guidelines, imaging protocols and kit preparation information.

DMS Imaging Interim Solutions (Booth 871) is showcasing its PET/CT systems at reduced rates, producing a limited quantity of nearly new mobile GE Discovery ST8 and Siemens Biograph PET/CT systems.

DMS provides support services, including temporary staffing, applications training, business development and marketing, scheduling and FDG at national contract pricing.

GE Healthcare (Booth 427) is highlighting several new systems in SPECT/CT, pre-clinical imaging and PET/CT, as well as radiopharmaceuticals.

In SPECT/CT, GE is featuring its new Volumetrix Suite, consisting of two software packages—Volumetrix 3D and Volumetrix IR. The Volumetrix 3D brings together advanced 3D visualization with the productivity of 2D image analysis. Volumetrix IR offers a clinician the choice of any CT to view registered to the SPECT data within the nuclear medicine department workflow.

For pre-clinical imaging, GE is showing its new eXplore speCZT, a full-ring, solid-state detector small animal SPECT that utilizes a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector, and allows for 360-degree coverage around the animal and high-energy resolution to enable dual or triple radio-nuclide imaging.

For PET/CT, the company is showcasing its Discovery Dimension that allows the clinician to address the PET and CT imaging mismatches related to respiratory and cardiac motion, which include motion correction techniques that effectively improve clinical results and minimize blur caused by motion. GE provides technologies for its Discovery—high-definition PET image processing, patient motion management and clinical productivity features—that address motion.

In radiopharmaceuticals, GE is featuring its FASTlab, a multi-tracer PET chemistry synthesis platform that features a cassette, to incorporate pre-measured, pre-loaded reagents. The company also is highlighting its TRACERcenter-GMP that includes equipment, documentation and GMP training and consulting services to provide centers with support and knowledge for the production of PET tracers.

IBA Molecular (Booth 1034) is presenting its IntegraLab solution and Cyclone 18 Twin.

IntegraLab combines products and services for the production of radiopharmaceuticals, includes among others, building design according to cGMP and the selection, integration, supply and installation of equipment to match customer’s radioisotopes production goals.

The Cyclone 18 Twin is a new version of IBA’s Cyclone 18/9, which increases production uptime while reducing maintenance intervention. The Cyclone 18 Twin central region also has been redesigned to host two new proton ion sources, aiding the other features of Cyclone 18 family.

Lantheus Medical Imaging (Booth 1425) is highlighting Cardiolite, the technetium-labeled myocardial perfusion agent that has been used to image more than 40 million patients to date.

From its pipeline, Lantheus is featuring its initiative through clinical data presented on and F-labeled PET tracer (BMS-747158), a new PET agent. 

Medrad (Booth 225) is featuring its Intego PET Infusion System, a technology designed for CT, MRI and continues with the injector technology for molecular imaging. The Intego allows for dose-on-demand capability for flexible exam scheduling; automated and controlled delivery with built-in dosimetry ensures precision; and fully-shielded mobile design with multi-dose FDG.

The Intego, which is FDA 510(k) pending in the United States, delivers accurate doses of FDG and flushing solutions as part of a PET or PET/CT procedure, providing radiation shielding to medical personnel from radiation exposure during procedures. The Vial Shield holds and shields the FDG Vial and, along with a shielded needle insertion device.

MIMvista (Booth 645) is introducing its MIM Storage Server, an integrated image archive solution, and featuring its MIMneuro package, which now includes an automated workflow for Epilepsy Analysis performing ictal-interictal SPECT subtractions and MR co-registration within one diagnostic reading station. 

The MIM Storage Server offers archive searching and data transfer with automated study routing and image retrieval and has scalable security options using LDAP/Active directory.

The MIMneuro automated system highlights foci by cluster analysis providing radiologists and referring physicians with a clear picture of the epileptic focus, as well as an integrated brain atlas, which increases anatomical localization.

Naviscan PET Systems (Booth 341) is showcasing its PEM Flex Solo II, an FDA-approved high-resolution PET scanner designed and used to image small body parts, such as the breast.  

The PEM Flex utilizes PET technology for positron emission mammography (PEM) which provides spatial resolution of 1.5 mm, allowing physicians to visualize small breast lesions.  

The PEM Flex scanner consists of two flat, high-resolution detector heads mounted directly to compression paddles that are positioned to optimize imaging of the breast.  The close proximity of the 13 mm crystal detectors and limited angle tomographic reconstruction produces the high-resolution images.

Numa (Booth 641) is unveiling two new products—NumaStore Software Only, which allows customers to provide their own hardware configurations for the NumaStore Image Management software application, and NumaRead Rental, which migrates patient image files to online storage systems.

With the NumaStore Software Only, imaging and IT professionals can integrate this version of Numa’s image storage and management application onto their existing radiology department or enterprise server systems. Instead of duplicating the computer system hardware, the solution allows users to implement the features of NumaStore and share computer and professional resources with the rest of the enterprise. NumaStore can also archive, move, filter, sort, group, query and restore images.

The NumaRead Rental system can be configured to store images on the local computer system or forward them to another workstation, NumaStore or PACS. When the migration is complete and the system is no longer needed, the software is disabled and the hardware components are returned to Numa.

Philips Healthcare (Booth 1331) is unveiling its new BrightView XCT, designed solely for nuclear medicine, uniting SPECT and CT to take full advantage of both without compromising either. Philips BrightView XCT integrates BrightView SPECT in a co-planar design with Philips flat-detector x-ray CT technology.

The BrightView XCT system improves clinical efficiency by offering the potential for fewer artifacts and higher resolution-to-dose ratios. Also, in many cases, the table does not move between SPECT and CT studies.

Philips also is highlighting its new Gemini TF Big Bore, the first Big Bore PET/CT system with a full 85 cm bore diameter for both PET and CT. The combination of leading technologies in Gemini PET with TruFlight and Brilliance CT simulation allows physicians to consolidate radiation oncology procedures, increase the potential for greater accuracy and improve scheduling, the company says.

Siemens Medical Solutions (Booth 731) is showcasing its HD•PET, Biograph PET•CT family of systems, Symbia SPECT and TruePoint SPECT•CT, the c.cam SPECT system and a host of clinical, preclinical and biomarker solutions for cardiology, oncology and neurology.
Siemens’ HD•PET, the world’s first and only high-definition PET technology, offers consistently sharper and clearly defined images across the entire field of view. The improved 2-mm resolution enables physicians to clearly visualize the smallest of lesions from the center to the edges of the field of view, according to the company.

In addition to featuring HD•PET, Siemens is unveiling its latest innovations and highlighting its portfolio of clinical, preclinical and biomarker solutions for cardiology, oncology and neurology:
   
The Biograph PET•CT family now includes the TruePoint PET•CT platform. It offers high-resolution fusion imaging, image clarity and diagnostic confidence for applications such as oncology patient management and cardiac assessment. An enlarged field of view enables the scanner to image more photons over a greater area, resulting in highly detailed images while drastically decreasing acquisition times.

The world’s fastest PET•CT scanner, the Biograph 64, provides clinicians with excellent image quality with its ability to perform high-resolution CT angiography and myocardial perfusion, viability, and function in one accurately registered exam, Siemens says.
   
Flexible, scalable members of the Symbia family range from advanced SPECT systems to unique SPECT•CT systems that offer CT-based attenuation correction and multislice CT capabilities.

At SNM, the company is highlighting the:

• Symbia S that combines state-of-the-art image quality with workflow automation and can be easily upgraded to TruePoint SPECT•CT.
   
• Symbia T that provides variable-angle, dual-detector SPECT along with a 2-, 6- or 16-slice CT for rapid, accurate attenuation correction and anatomical mapping.
   
• Symbia E, the newest member of the family, is a high performance dual-detector, variable-angle system with flexible patient positioning for planar imaging, whole-body scans and SPECT studies.

Featuring a reclining chair, Siemens’ c.cam cardiac gamma camera enhances imaging accuracy and efficiency while its c.clear attenuation correction feature improves diagnostic confidence, the company says.

The company also is featuring syngo TrueD, which was designed for the diagnosis, staging and assessment of cancer treatment response. This visualization tool enables physicians to compare patient scans from different points in time, such as pre- and post-therapy. Also being showcased is syngo Circulation, which provides a complete, noninvasive cardiac evaluation in less than 10 minutes.

Siemens’ preclinical multimodality imaging solutions offer a versatile and upgradeable platform as well as a comprehensive suite of analysis applications. Siemens’ latest preclinical solution, Inveon, is a modular concept that offers complete flexibility, enabling PET, SPECT, and CT data acquisition, and provides the industry’s highest PET resolution and sensitivity.

Siemens also offers products for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals. The Explora family of radiochemistry modules offers a comprehensive line of products for efficient preparation of radiolabeled PET compounds. On a larger scale, the Eclipse family of PET cyclotrons is Siemens’ solution for radioisotope production of 18-fluoride–based radiotracers, as well as production N-13, 0-15 and C-11 isotopes.