Simon Cherry plenary talk: EXPLORER -- Changing the Molecular Imaging Paradigm with Total-Body PET/CT

Positron emission tomography (PET) is the highest sensitivity technique for human whole-body imaging studies. However, current clinical PET scanners do not make full use of the available signal, as they only permit imaging of a 15-25 cm segment of the body at one time. Given the limited sensitive region, whole-body imaging with clinical PET scanners requires relatively long scan times and subjects the patient to higher than necessary radiation doses.

In this plenary session, Simon Cherry of University of California, Davis reviews the state of the art in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with an emphasis on current limitations and opportunities for increasing sensitivity and spatial resolution.

Cherry describes the EXPLORER initiative, an effort he co-leads to develop the world's first total-body PET scanner offering the possibility of increased sensitivity and performance along with reduced dose. Faster scan speeds also will allow for new capabilities including kinetic information enabling tracking the delivery function for drugs in the human body.

Simon Cherry's research interests center around biomedical imaging and in particular the development and application of in vivo molecular imaging systems. His major accomplishments have been in developing and applying high resolution systems for positron emission tomography (PET), in particular the invention of the microPET technology that was subsequently widely adopted in academia and industry. He has contributed to the development of very high performance detectors for PET, and to multimodality imaging systems, including the first hybrid PET/MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) systems. He is currently co-leading the effort to develop the world's first total body PET scanner.