All About ‘Time Of Flight’ PET Scanning

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All About Time Of Flight PET Scanning
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By Vikki Harmonay
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PET Scanning, like all other modalities of
imaging equipment, has made strides in improving
diagnostic accuracy. The biggest step in that
direction for PET has been the development and
proliferation of Time-of-Flight technology. Are
you using PET systems that are 10 years old or
older? Do you have a newer system that doesnt
have time-of-flight option enabled? There are
several benefits of having time-of-flight that
you should know as you consider upgrading your
equipment.
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Get Better Image Quality With Time-of-Flight Time
-of-Flight measures the time it takes for photons
to go from the point of annihilation to the
detectors. This gives the PET scanner a higher
resolution image, which makes it more
accurate. When it comes to conventional PET
imaging, a positron annihilation is recognized
along a 180 line of response instead of at the
actual location of the event. The PET Scanner
will calculate the location of the positron
annihilation by measuring the angles based on a
point in the 180 angle of incidence. To
simplify, the computer can tell where the actual
origin point of the positron annihilation is by
calculating the intersecting 180 lines.
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The photons that are released during a PET scan
strike the detectors at almost the same time, but
not exactly. Theyre usually differentiated by
measuring the fall-off or attenuation of the
signal. As the positron works its way through
body mass, this attenuation occurs naturally. The
highest attenuation occurs at the thickest parts
of the anatomy. Radiologists and oncologists use
a lot of computers and software to analyze the
attenuation. This allows them to get a good idea
of where the positron annihilation event and the
targeted mass or anatomical region are. Keep in
mind with conventional PET imaging, the photons
strike the detectors almost at the same time and
not exactly at the same time
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• With Time-of-Flight technology, measurement is
  taken a step further. ToF measures both the
  distance and attenuation of photons but also adds
  the actual time difference between the detecting
  of photons release during coincident events to
  the algorithm. This identifies the distance from
  the annihilation event to the detector more
  accurately.
• The Benefits Of Time-of-Flight
• Higher Image Quality
• More Accurate Detection Of Masses And Lesions
• Better For Large Patients
• Easier To Declare A More Definitive Diagnosis and
  Pursue Treatment

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• Time-Of-Flight Manufacturers
• Philips (since 2006)
• GE (since 2008)
• Siemens (since 2010)
• As a rule, only Philips TOF systems are available
  on the secondary market right now.

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Talk To An Expert Are you ready to start the
conversion process for a Time-of-Flight PET
Scanner? If so, talk to the experts at Atlantis
Worldwide. Weve been helping healthcare
practices and facilities with their medical
imaging needs for more than 30 years and would
love to assist you. Contact Us Today!
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