Cubresa Launches Simultaneous PET/MRI Technology
Winnipeg, MB (PRWEB) May 27, 2015 -- Empowering biomedical researchers with richer, more comprehensive imaging data to combat disease, Cubresa Inc. today announced its MR Compatible Small Animal PET Scanner.
“Our MR Compatible in-bore PET Scanner uses silicon photomultiplier detector technology, so it can be inserted into single-purpose preclinical MRI machines from manufacturers like Bruker and Agilent,” said James Schellenberg, Founder of Cubresa, headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada. “This enables simultaneous PET and MRI data acquisition with the image quality researchers expect.”
With the new instrument, Schellenberg said researchers would be able to measure and correlate multiple physiological processes simultaneously with exceptional tissue contrast, quantitative accuracy and study throughput.
“Although multimodal scanners capable of simultaneous PET/MRI acquisition have been introduced in clinical medicine, commercially available small animal solutions have not yet seen adoption in preclinical studies. It’s time for that to change,” said Schellenberg.
Cubresa’s product is based on PET detector technology developed through a Canadian research collaboration led by Dr. Andrew Goertzen, Associate Professor of Radiology in the College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Earlier this year, first in vivo mouse imaging studies were obtained using a proof of concept system installed in Winnipeg.
“These images demonstrate our ability to acquire high resolution PET/MRI data simultaneously on a 7T Bruker scanner,” said Goertzen. “We are excited at the possibilities that this new in-bore PET scanner enables, including enhanced quantification through MRI guided partial volume correction and the ability to directly combine and correlate PET and MRI measures.”
“This is a prime example of the University’s ability to move technology from the lab to commercialization,” said Dr. Digvir Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International) at the University of Manitoba. “Our Transformational Partnerships approach enables effective collaboration with industry.”
Cubresa has also entered into a research agreement with the Lawson Health Research Institute of London, Ontario, which will be the first customer to receive the new scanner. Lawson will utilize the scanner for an extensive number of applications, including those in the areas of oncology, cardiology, neurodegenerative diseases, and PET probe development.
“Capturing multimodal images of the same anatomy at the same time with preclinical PET/MRI allows us to make new discoveries at a quicker pace, thus accelerating the translation to new clinical applications in precision medicine,” said Dr. Frank Prato, Imaging Program Leader and Assistant Scientific Director, Lawson Health Research Institute.
Cubresa will feature the in-bore PET Scanner, along with the previously released SPECT Imaging System, SPARK™, at the upcoming International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) meeting in Toronto and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) meeting in Baltimore; both in June.
At ISMRM, Dr. Jonathan Thiessen of the Lawson Health Research Institute will deliver an oral presentation entitled ‘MRI Compatibility of a High-Resolution Small Animal PET Insert Operating Inside a 7T MRI’ summarizing performance data obtained using the Winnipeg system.
Michael Simpson, Cubresa Inc., http://www.cubresa.com, +1 204-272-2409, [email protected]
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