Molecular Imaging

Molecular imaging (also called nuclear medicine or nuclear imaging) can image the function of cells inside the body at the molecular level. This includes the imaging modalities of positron emission computed tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. How does PET and SPECT imaging work? Small amounts of radioactive material (radiopharmaceuticals) injected into a patient. These can use sugars or chemical traits to bond to specific cells. The radioactive material is taken up by cells that consume the sugars. The radiation emitted from inside the body is detected by photon detectors outside the body. Computers take the data to assemble images of the radiation emissions. Nuclear images may appear fuzzy or ghostly rather than the sharper resolution from MRI and CT.  But, it provides metabolic information at a cellular level, showing if there are defects in the function of the heart, areas of very high metabolic activity associated with cancer cells, or areas of inflammation, data not available from other modalities. These noninvasive imaging exams are used to diagnose cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, bone disorders and other disorders. 

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MR Solutions receives world-wide recognition with R&D 100 Award

UK based MR Solutions’, revolutionary pre-clinical scanner MRS 7000, is an award winner at the US-based R&D 100 Awards. The 54th annual awards, held in Washington in November 2016, recognise the 100 most innovative technologies and services of the past year.

Just add water: Biomolecular manufacturing 'on-the-go'

BOSTON, Sept. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Even amidst all the celebrated advances of modern medicine, basic life-saving interventions are still not reaching massive numbers of people who live in our planet's most remote and non-industrialized locations. 

MR Solutions to supply cryogen-free 7T simultaneous PET-MR preclinical imaging system for the study of Alzheimer’s and stroke at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California

MR Solutions has received an order for a high-powered 7T, cryogen-free, preclinical PET-MRI multi-modality imaging system from the newly formed pre-clinical imaging resource at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute (ZNI) at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).

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Q&A: Katrina Pitas on the NNSA, producing Mo-99 and the future of SHINE Medical Technologies

Katrina Pitas, vice president of business development for SHINE Medial Technologies, is in St. Louis this week to speak at the 2016 Mo-99 Topical Meeting. While preparing for her presentation, she spoke with Health Imaging about what SHINE has been up to this year and what she will be discussing at the meeting. 

Mallinckrodt to sell nuclear medicine business to IBA Molecular for $690 million

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals announced Aug. 24 it has reached an agreement to sell its nuclear imaging business to IBA Molecular (IBAM) for $690 million.

ASNC, SNMMI release position statement, guidelines on myocardial perfusion PET

After reviewing the available literature, the societies said that rest-stress myocardial perfusion PET was a first-line preferred test for patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease who meet the criteria for stress imaging and are unable to complete the diagnostic level exercise stress imaging study.

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First imaging of brain epigenetics achieved with new PET radiochemical

Harvard researchers have developed a novel PET radiotracer that can reveal genetic expression, or lack thereof, in the brain enzymes called histone deacetylases (HDACs). 

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PET imaging finds suicidal ideation where its biomarkers are hiding in the brain

Positron emission tomography (PET) has proven capable of identifying serotonin binding patterns in the brain that correlate with suicidal ideation and, in some cases, precede lethal suicidal behavior, according to a study lead-authored by the president of the American Psychiatric Association and published online in JAMA Psychiatry.

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Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
Positron partners with Upbeat Cardiology Solutions to improve cardiac PET/CT access

Positron, a New York-based nuclear imaging company, will now provide Upbeat Cardiology Solutions with advanced PET/CT systems and services. 

Cardiovascular Business
Global shortage of nuclear imaging isotopes may be over

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

Cardiovascular Business
‘A huge win’: CMS significantly increases Medicare payments for cardiac CT

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.