by
Lisa Chamoff, Contributing Reporter | June 15, 2020
From the May 2020 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Like the rest of the medical imaging industry, the PET and SPECT market has continued its focus on faster scans and decreased radiation dose. Manufacturers are also bringing more portable and mobile scanners to the market to increase access to scanners that are used to detect and treat cancer and cardiac issues, and diagnose neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Here’s a look at what's new, and updates to what's emerging, in the space.
Canon Medical Systems USA
At last year’s RSNA annual meeting, Canon Medical Systems USA introduced its Cartesion Prime PET/CT system, a new premium Digital PET/CT scanner.
The scanner features a new detector built by Canon Medical that the company says provides 100% coverage, with one-to-one coupling and a large, 27-centimeter axial field of view, and a low time of flight, at 280 picoseconds, which may allow for faster scans at a lower dose.
“All of our crystal is covered by the detector (and) every individual small crystal can have its own SiPM (silicon photomultiplier) detector,” said Angela Dunaway, senior manager for molecular imaging solutions marketing for Canon Medical Systems USA. “We think from a technology perspective, we’ve really leveraged the value of SiPM.”
Perhaps the biggest new development is that the scanner forgoes the traditional water cooling system with a chiller for an air-cooled approach, which provides more dependability and allows the scanner to fit into smaller spaces.
The PET is combined with the company’s Aquilion Prime SP CT, which provides customers with access to new technologies on the CT side, Dunaway said. The stand-alone Aquilion Prime system recently received FDA clearance for Canon Medical’s AiCE Deep Learning Reconstruction.
“Most customers looking to move to digital PET/CT want to be set up for the future,” Dunaway said. “Canon Medical consistently migrates advanced technologies across product lines, providing our customers with more opportunities in improving patient care now and in the future.”
Cubresa
The company’s main clinical product is called the BrainPET, a PET insert that fits inside an MR scanner. The product was developed through a joint venture in China.