Outcomes from 3×3 grid phantom experiment with diameter of 120 mm. Prime row: 3×3 grid phantom filling and parts. Center row: reconstructed A (triple coincidences highest power photon ≥ 650 keV), B (triple coincidences with highest power photon between 520–650 keV), and C (double coincidences with photons 450–600 keV) listmode datasets. Backside row: unmixed single-isotope pictures showcasing the power to measure three isotopes concurrently. Credit score: SJ Zou et al., Stanford College, Stanford, CA.
For the primary time, a brand new PET imaging approach has efficiently visualized three radiotracers in a single scan, in accordance with findings introduced on the Society of Nuclear Drugs and Molecular Imaging 2025 Annual Assembly. This innovation in multiplexed PET provides the potential to ship a extra complete molecular profile of illness, enabling better precision in each prognosis and therapeutic evaluation.
“The concept of multiplexed PET was reported more than a decade ago, but only within the past five years have the needed radionuclides, radiochemistry, and clinical applications come together to make the approach very interesting,” mentioned Sarah Zou, Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering at Stanford College in Stanford, California. “With the right tools now in place, our study utilized triplexed PET to image three isotopes in one session.”
Isotopes evaluated within the examine included one pure positron emitter (18F in simulation and 64Cu in experiment) and two prompt-gamma+positron emitters (124I and 55Co). The summary submitted in January confirmed success in simulation by resolving overlapping spheres of every isotope. Experimental measurements obtained with a 3×3 grid phantom containing mixtures of these three isotopes additionally demonstrated profitable unmixing of every particular person isotope.
The summary is accessible within the Journal of Nuclear Drugs.
Photon coincidence information was sorted first by photon quantity after which by photon power to create three listmode datasets. Researchers then used measured scaling elements to get rid of isotope crosstalk over the three datasets to get better single isotope pictures.
“This study demonstrates using both simulations and experiments strong potential for performing multiplexed PET with three—or even more—distinct isotopes,” said Zou. “It offers a powerful tool for imaging biologically complex diseases like cancer that involve multiple biomarkers. By capturing this information in a single scan, we can provide clinicians with more detailed and precise insights, which may ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes.”
In line with Zou, future work will concentrate on quantitative evaluation, scatter and random corrections, and validating the triplexed PET technique with extra experimental information. With focused updates to scanner {hardware}, firmware, and software program by industrial producers, this know-how may change into clinically viable inside the subsequent 5 years.
Extra info:
Sarah J. Zou et al. Triplexed PET: Strategies to Picture Three Distinct Isotopes in a Single PET Imaging Session, Journal of Nuclear Drugs (2025). jnm.snmjournals.org/content material/66/supplement_1/252126
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Superior PET approach permits simultaneous imaging of three radiotracers (2025, June 23)
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