"From advances in x-ray film and
cassettes to the introduction of computers and digital images,
diagnostic imaging has never stopped reinventing its technology to
improve patient care. Today, diagnostic imaging is on the cusp of
explosive growth in an arena known as fusion imaging. This
technology melds two independent imaging modalities typically a
procedure that demonstrates an organs function with one that
depicts the organs anatomy to produce a diagnostically and
clinically superior study.
"Nuclear medicine procedures such as positron emission tomography
(PET) and single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) are
unparalleled in their ability to assess information about metabolic
function, while CT and MR are superior at depicting anatomy. Until
recently, clinicians had to obtain physiological and anatomical
information on separate machines and use special registration
software to digitally superimpose the two images. Today, new hybrid
equipment is capable of performing both types of examinations
simultaneously, automatically merging the data to form a composite
image. By uniting metabolic function with anatomic form, fusion
imaging depicts the human body with a level of precision never
before achievable." The above text is from a report on the
PET-CT Consensus Conference, July 31, 2002, in New Orleans,
Louisiana
Click
here for the entire PET-CT Consensus Paper
(Reproduced with permission of ASRT).
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CRCPD has now published the
Proceedings of the National Symposium on Fusion
Imaging and Multimodalities: Technical and Regulatory Considerations,
CRCPD Publication E-04-2. This symposium, sponsored by CRCPD,
was held February 18-20, 2004, in Kansas City, Missouri.
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