Simultaneous imaging using Si-PM-based PET and MRI for development of an integrated PET/MRI system

Seiichi Yamamoto*, Tadashi Watabe, Hiroshi Watabe, Masaaki Aoki, Eiji Sugiyama, Masao Imaizumi, Yasukazu Kanai, Eku Shimosegawa, Jun Hatazawa

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

57 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The silicon photomultiplier (Si-PM) is a promising photo-detector for PET for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems because it has high gain and is insensitive to static magnetic fields. Recently we developed a Si-PM-based depth-of-interaction PET system for small animals and performed simultaneous measurements by combining the Si-PM-based PET and the 0.15 T permanent MRI to test the interferences between the Si-PM-based PET and an MRI. When the Si-PM was inside the MRI and installed around the radio frequency (RF) coil of the MRI, significant noise from the RF sequence of the MRI was observed in the analog signals of the PET detectors. However, we did not observe any artifacts in the PET images; fluctuation increased in the count rate of the Si-PM-based PET system. On the MRI side, there was significant degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) in the MRI images compared with those without PET. By applying noise reduction procedures, the degradation of the S/N was reduced. With this condition, simultaneous measurements of a rat brain using a Si-PM-based PET and an MRI were made with some degradation in the MRI images. We conclude that simultaneous measurements are possible using Si-PM-based PET and MRI.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)N1-N13
JournalPhysics in Medicine and Biology
Volume57
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012 Jan 21
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Simultaneous imaging using Si-PM-based PET and MRI for development of an integrated PET/MRI system'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this