a wall of X-rays

Summary:

A tomography technique with very high sensitivity that can generate images of very low concentrations of radionuclides presenting cascade gamma-rays. The technique detects multiple photons in rapid succession using positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, enabling 3D reconstruction for therapeutic applications with high sensitivity.

Applications: 

  • Targeted Alpha or Beta Therapy Monitoring
  • Radiopharmaceutical Dosimetry
  • Radiopharmaceutical R&D

Advantages/Benefits: 

  • Enables imaging of non-positron emitting radionuclides with PET scanners
  • Superior sensitivity and low activity detection
  • Quantitative imaging for personalized dosimetry
  • Leverages existing clinical PET scanner infrastructure

Background: 

Nuclear imaging is crucial for monitoring radionuclide therapies, enabling personalized dosimetry and treatment assessment. There is a significant need to visualize the biodistribution of therapeutic radionuclides to optimize patient outcomes. Existing imaging technologies like PET are limited to positron emitters, while SPECT lacks the sensitivity for the low-activity, non-positron-emitting radionuclides common in advanced therapies.

Technology Overview: Proof of concept

Development Stage: 

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a Time of Flight Gamma Cascade Tomography (TOF-CGT) technique to image radionuclides emitting cascade gamma-rays. It detects two or more gamma rays in rapid succession from the same decay using high-time-resolution detectors, such as clinical PET scanners. Spatial and temporal data define a hyperboloid surface, which an iterative reconstruction algorithm processes to create a 3D image, leveraging time-of-flight for enhanced localization and sensitivity.

This technology extends existing clinical PET scanners to image non-positron emitting therapeutic radionuclides (e.g., 225Ac), which are challenging for current PET or SPECT. It addresses a critical clinical need for high-sensitivity, quantitative imaging in targeted alpha therapy, enabling treatment monitoring and dosimetry previously impossible. Simulations show a peak sensitivity of ~2500 cps/MBq (25-250x improvement over SPECT) and spatial resolution from 9 mm to 25 mm.

Inventor:

Javier Caravaca Rodriguez

Opportunities: Available for licensing and / or collaborative research