Clinical evaluation of a positron emission tomograph with 2.6-mm resolution

Clinical studies have confirmed the high-resolution capability and practicality of the Donner 600-crystal PET system. In phantom studies, in-plane resolution at the center of the ring is 2.6 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM) and axial resolution is 6 mm FWHM. In F-18 FDG imaging of the brain, 1 to 2 million events are acquired in 15 minutes, starting 1 hour after intravenous administration of 10 mCi. Structures as small as the superior colliculi and the external capsule have been visualized. Improved resolution has allowed more accurate measurement of glucose metabolic rate, and more accurate depiction of lesions has altered the PET diagnosis in some clinical studies