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Emerging Fusion Technologies
Poised to Change the Landscape of Diagnostic Imaging
New technological advances in
diagnostic imaging have resulted in a highly sophisticated technique called
fusion imaging that uses special software to combine both anatomical and
functional images. This novel technique provides previously unattainable levels
of precision in detecting numerous conditions such as tumours, Alzheimer's
disease and neural disorders.
"Hybrid imaging modalities such
as positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and single photon
emission computed tomography/CT (SPECT/CT) are revolutionising the field of
diagnostic imaging," notes Technical Insights Research Analyst Preethi
Vaidyanathan. "Several PET/CT devices with different features have already been
introduced and are available commercially."
Combined PET/CT delivers better
results than PET or CT, because it offers more accurate localisation of
flurodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake, distinguishes pathological from physical uptake
and enables improved monitoring treatment.
Other significant advantages of
PET/CT imaging include better diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning and
response evaluation as well as enhanced guided biopsy methods. This imaging
modality is particularly useful for new indications and applications that cannot
be satisfactorily performed with individual PET or CT and retrospective image
alignment.
Combined SPECT with
high-powered CT scanners are finding application in multiple new research and
clinical arenas such as in vivo small animal studies and CT angiography in the
emergency department. Researchers are already investigating several new tracers
specifically to target cancers of the brain, thyroid, prostate, breast, lung,
ovaries, kidneys, and liver as well as diseases of the heart and bones.
"By combining high-speed CT
scanners with SPECT's highly accurate definition of disease processes,
anatomical mapping and localisation can be enhanced,'" says Ms. Vaidyanathan.
"Most significantly, CT attenuation correction greatly reduces the problems of
distortion and degradation that typically occur with radio-nuclide-based
methods."
Combined SPECT/CT has also
proved to be highly effective in examining patients with neuroendocrine tumours.
Researchers from the University di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy, have undertaken a
study in an attempt to identify the future applications of SPECT/CT imaging.
The results of this study
revealed that such hybrid imaging can increase the specificity of SPECT alone,
thus influencing choice of treatment and avoiding unnecessary therapy owing to
the exclusion or the identification of previously unknown malignant lesions.
Researchers are now evaluating
the possibility of combining SPECT and CT data for oncology applications. While
the combination of FDG-PET and CT data has emerged as a potent strategy for
cancer diagnosis, staging, and follow-up, SPECT/CT also has great potential in
oncological imaging.
For instance, SPECT/CT can
provide an excellent alternative in cases where institutions cannot afford FDG,
which is expensive and has a short life. SPECT tracers are often more
cost-effective, easier to obtain and in certain tumours, more accurate than FDG.
Researchers at the University
Hospital of Zurich attempted to compare the accuracy of contrast-enhanced
material helical CT alone with that of coregistered PET/CT and coregistered
SPECT/CT. This was to determine how these different modalities fared in
detecting bone invasion in patients scheduled to undergo surgery.
The outcome of their research
suggests that contrast-enhanced CT and PET/CT are better than SPECT/CT for
identifying the invasion of the mandibular and maxillary bones in patients with
oral cavity cancers. While the performances of PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT
were comparable with each other, PET/CT had the highest sensitivity and
contrast-enhanced CT scored over all other imaging tests in terms of the highest
specificity.
At the University Hospital
Charite in Germany, researchers experimented with using SPECT imaging with a
synthetic amino acid derivate, iodine-a-methyl tyrosine (IMT), as an alternative
to MET-PET. They found that this combination had great clinical potential in
diagnosing recurrent head and neck carcinoma. However, researchers sometimes
faced an obstacle in interpreting metabolic data due to the lack of anatomical
information.
Emerging Technology
Developments in Fusion Technology for Diagnostic Imaging is part of the
Technical Insights Healthcare vertical subscription service, and provides a
comprehensive overview of important advances in fusion technology in medical
diagnostics. It focuses on the most promising areas and technologies and
provides detailed coverage of key participants and their research developments.
The study distinguishes itself by focusing on user concerns and examining the
practical applications of key emerging technologies. Executive summaries and
analyst interviews are available to the press.
Contcat for more details :
Radhika Menon Theodore - European Corporate Communications at
rmtheodore@frost.com
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