Yale researchers reveal benefits Gamma Medica's cardiac gating sub system
Researchers from Yale University were the first to present research results using Gamma Medica's cardiac gating sub-system recently made available on the company's X-SPECT pre-clinical imaging system. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine in Philadelphia from June 19 - 23.
Investigating post-infarction left ventricular remodeling in rodent models, Albert Sinusas, MD, lead investigator of the study and his team of colleagues, have been evaluating several radiotracers that are targeted at either activated matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) or integrins involved with the remodeling process and angiogenesis. Analysis of the SPECT images using these targeted "hot spot" agents requires co-registration with standard perfusion agents like Tc99m-sestamibi. "X-SPECT's cardiac gating capability is allowing us to evaluate not only regional perfusion but also regional and global LV function and volume in the setting of myocardial infarction and post-infarction remodeling," Sinusas said.
Cardiac gating allows researchers to accelerate their studies aimed at understanding the disease and finding a cure, by performing highly accurate in-vivo molecular imaging at the pre-clinical level. Cardiac gating is critical to imaging accuracy in the heart, as it freezes the movement of the heart during its expansion and contraction phases, heightening image clarity and removing blur.
X-SPECT, Gamma Medica's second-generation MicroSPECT system, is an imaging system used by medical researchers and drug companies that use in-vivo imaging techniques and molecular markers to dramatically speed up studies of disease progression and therapy. The X-SPECT system combines the functional nuclear medicine technique, SPECT, with anatomical imaging provided by CT. The system gantry is similar to clinical systems, but on a smaller scale with dedicated features better suited to the in-vivo imaging of mice and other small animals in the laboratory setting.
Investigating post-infarction left ventricular remodeling in rodent models, Albert Sinusas, MD, lead investigator of the study and his team of colleagues, have been evaluating several radiotracers that are targeted at either activated matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) or integrins involved with the remodeling process and angiogenesis. Analysis of the SPECT images using these targeted "hot spot" agents requires co-registration with standard perfusion agents like Tc99m-sestamibi. "X-SPECT's cardiac gating capability is allowing us to evaluate not only regional perfusion but also regional and global LV function and volume in the setting of myocardial infarction and post-infarction remodeling," Sinusas said.
Cardiac gating allows researchers to accelerate their studies aimed at understanding the disease and finding a cure, by performing highly accurate in-vivo molecular imaging at the pre-clinical level. Cardiac gating is critical to imaging accuracy in the heart, as it freezes the movement of the heart during its expansion and contraction phases, heightening image clarity and removing blur.
X-SPECT, Gamma Medica's second-generation MicroSPECT system, is an imaging system used by medical researchers and drug companies that use in-vivo imaging techniques and molecular markers to dramatically speed up studies of disease progression and therapy. The X-SPECT system combines the functional nuclear medicine technique, SPECT, with anatomical imaging provided by CT. The system gantry is similar to clinical systems, but on a smaller scale with dedicated features better suited to the in-vivo imaging of mice and other small animals in the laboratory setting.