An animal PET scanner using flat-panel position-sensitive PMTs.

Objective: To design, build, and evaluate an animal PET scanner, which can be used with non-human primates under conscious condition, incorporating flat-panel position-sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PS-PMTs).

Methods: The system contains 30 detector modules, each having two PS-PMTs and 16×18 lutetium–yttrium oxyortho-silicate scintillation crystal arrays. The system has 17,280 crystals (480 per ring) arranged in 36 rings, with a diameter of 508 mm and axial extent of 108 mm.

Evaluation of O-[(18)F]fluoromethyl-D-tyrosine as a radiotracer for tumor imaging with positron emission tomography.

O-[(18)F]Fluoromethyl-D-tyrosine (D-[(18)F]FMT) has been reported as a potential tumor-detecting agent for positron emission tomography (PET). However, the reason why D-[(18)F]FMT is better than L-[(18)F]FMT is unclear. To clarify this point, we examined the mechanism of their transport and their suitability for tumor detection.