Positron Emission Tomography
Radionuclide-based myocardial perfusion imaging utilizing
positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly recognized as
having superior accuracy compared to SPECT [1]. PET is not
limited by many of the factors affecting SPECT and PET has proven
in clinical studies to be superior for these applications. Even when
employed in a spatially-relative manner, PET is more accurate for
defining the presence and extent of CAD in both men and women
[1]. Compared with SPECT, PET has an almost two-fold
improvement for correct detection of multivessel CAD, and has
been shown to be especially useful in patients where SPECT
image quality is compromised by artifacts from exaggerated body
habitus or scatter into the myocardium of tracer accumulated in
cardiac-adjacent structures.
The widespread availability of a generator based radiotracer for
myocardial perfusion PET imaging as well as advances in PET
scanner technology has lead to an explosion in utilization. In 2000,
only 8 sites in the United States were routinely performing MPI
PET, by the end of 2007 that number exceeded 100. This changes
was driven by dramatic improvements in image quality: in large
part driven by the widespread availability of cardiac specific
processing and interpretation software.
To achieve this level of accuracy in routine PET myocardial
perfusion imaging, it is necessary acquire high quality data and
process the data to remove imaging artifacts. One most prevalent
of these artifacts is misregistration between transmission and
emission data sets.
Cardiovascular Imaging Technologies was the first company to
release a cardiac specific misregistration correction software
package in 2003. Since that time, CVIT has develop correction
routines for metal artifacts in PET/CT imaging and a PET specific
interpretation environment.
Radionuclide-based myocardial perfusion imaging utilizing
positron emission tomography (PET) is increasingly recognized as
having superior accuracy compared to SPECT [1]. PET is not
limited by many of the factors affecting SPECT and PET has proven
in clinical studies to be superior for these applications. Even when
employed in a spatially-relative manner, PET is more accurate for
defining the presence and extent of CAD in both men and women
[1]. Compared with SPECT, PET has an almost two-fold
improvement for correct detection of multivessel CAD, and has
been shown to be especially useful in patients where SPECT
image quality is compromised by artifacts from exaggerated body
habitus or scatter into the myocardium of tracer accumulated in
cardiac-adjacent structures.
The widespread availability of a generator based radiotracer for
myocardial perfusion PET imaging as well as advances in PET
scanner technology has lead to an explosion in utilization. In 2000,
only 8 sites in the United States were routinely performing MPI
PET, by the end of 2007 that number exceeded 100. This changes
was driven by dramatic improvements in image quality: in large
part driven by the widespread availability of cardiac specific
processing and interpretation software.
To achieve this level of accuracy in routine PET myocardial
perfusion imaging, it is necessary acquire high quality data and
process the data to remove imaging artifacts. One most prevalent
of these artifacts is misregistration between transmission and
emission data sets.
Cardiovascular Imaging Technologies was the first company to
release a cardiac specific misregistration correction software
package in 2003. Since that time, CVIT has develop correction
routines for metal artifacts in PET/CT imaging and a PET specific
interpretation environment.
Cardiovascular Imaging Technologies
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4320 Wornall Road, Suite 55
Kansas City, MO 64111
ph: 816-531-2842
fax: 816-531-0643
scourter@cvit.com
Kansas City, MO 64111
ph: 816-531-2842
fax: 816-531-0643
scourter@cvit.com