Testing & validation of pre-clinical multispectral SPECT and simultaneous PET/MRI using silicon photomultiplier technology

Imaging technologies such as Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) have played an invaluable role in human imaging for many decades. More recently, there has been a resurgence in interest in so-called "hybrid" technologies, which combine two or more imaging modalities (e.g., SPECT/CT, PET/MRI). As such, while very challenging to engineer, instruments for human PET/MRI are now commercially available.However, scaling such technology to the physical size and spatial resolution requirements of pre-clinical imaging (i.e. small animal imaging) is in many ways more difficult. As a salient example, no commercially available instrument exists that is capable of truly simultaneous pre-clinical PET and MRI imaging. Therefore, Winnipeg-based Cubresa Inc. has begun work using Silicon-Photomultiplier (SiPM) technology, which is ideally suited to development such instruments. With an initial research collaboration funded through previous NSERC Interaction, Engage and Engage+ grants, the investigators have worked with Cubresa to develop a commercial pre-clinical SPECT product that is capable of integrating with existing PET/CT scanners, using SiPM technology.Cubresa now wishes to work with the investigators to 1) develop and validate new applications, including multispectral imaging, using their SPECT instrument, and 2) perform initial system performance verification/benchmarking as well as applications demonstration using a beta-version PET insert that uses SiPM technology to allow simultaneous pre-clinical PET/MRI when integrated into the investigator's MRI equipment.