Open PET leading to joint cancer diagnosis and radiotherapy
National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS)
*The organization and the title are those when awarded
Abstract
- 日本語
- English
PETや粒子線治療など，より優れたがん診断・治療に向けた技術革新が行われてきたが，それらの組み合わせは未踏の領域である。そこで我々は，治療中でも画像化できる世界初の開放型PET装置「OpenPET」を開発している。具体的には，2つの検出器リングを離して得る開放空間を画像化する第一世代型に続いて，竹筒を斜めに切ったような単一リングの第二世代型を考案した。前者は，撮像視野を拡大できるなど多目的型であるのに対して，後者は診断・治療融合に特化した方法である。OpenPETによって，腫瘍を直接見ながら，ビーム自体を見ながら，さらには治療効果を見ながら行う，安全・安心・確実な未来のがん治療の実現を目指したい。
An open-type geometry for PET, OpenPET, is our new idea to visualize a physically opened space between two detector rings. The OpenPET is expected to enable joint PET imaging and radiation therapy by letting the beams pass though the gap. For charged particle therapy, in particular, the OpenPET will enable in situ dose verification by visualizing the distribution of primary particles stopped in a patient body. PET-based image guided radiation therapy including mobile tumor tracking will also become possible by applying a real-time image reconstruction system to be developed. The required number of PET detectors can be reduced in our 2nd generation OpenPET, the single-ring OpenPET.
Research summary
Positron emission tomography (PET) and radiotherapy are used independently for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
By combining the two, Dr. Yamaya proposed a concept of new open-type PET geometry, "OpenPET", which can perform radiotherapy simultaneously with PET diagnostic imaging, by remarkably opening up physical spaces.
With an advanced 3D radiation detector which his group had previously developed to improve PET resolution, he succeeded to construct prototype systems which have enough gapｓ to irradiate a radiotherapy treatment beam to a patient.
He has also verified new image processing techniques which can be utilized in an integrated system for radiotherapy.
OpenPET has a large potential for innovative cancer therapies, such as "radiotherapy while in-situ cancer observation by PET."
* PET：Positron emission tomography is a diagnostic imaging technique, which detects radiations emitted form tracer substances within patient body and constructs 3D images by computer processing.
