They made for the first time in the country a tomograph that will give accurate diagnoses of cancer – 07/24/2018

Argentine scientists and engineers finished manufacturing the first PET tomograph (Positron Emission Tomography) developed and manufactured entirely in the country .

The specialists are part of the Group of Digital Systems and Robotics Center Ezeiza Atomic, the National Commission of Atomic Energy (CNEA)

The equipment was transported to the Hospital of Clínicas of the City of Buenos Aires

It will operate in a specially conditioned space in the Nuclear Medicine Service of this health center, which belongs to the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

Claudio Verrastro, Head of the Division of Digital Systems and Robotics of CNEA, explained that the next step will be to ask the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) for authorization to work with radiopharmaceuticals and, subsequently, a stage of equipment characterization will begin from the functional point of view that [194] 59003] will allow the homologation for use in patients

According to the National Commission of the published atomic energy, the AR-PET tomograph will obtain anatomical and functional images of the human body in a non-invasive way, providing an accurate diagnosis of certain diseases such as cancer heart problems and brain disorders.

The CNEA further explained that operated wirelessly and with a consumption of 12 volts.

This allows the use of batteries with less environmental impact. It can also work with 2 of its 6 main components, which facilitates the repair of the equipment without interrupting the delivery of its services.

"This is possible thanks to the fact that its heads (responsible for taking pictures) are For this, each photomultiplier of the equipment has its own computer dedicated to the treatment of information. were built with scintillating crystals arranged in hexagonal form, which allows to obtain a wide field of vision and facilitates their removal, repair They added:

The project was funded by the National Treasury and benefited from the contribution of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

. 3 companies worldwide are engaged in the commercialization of these instruments.Its market value is greater than 1 million US dollars.

What is a PET?

This is a very complex study that allows us to obtain anatomical and functional images of the human body, providing an accurate diagnosis of certain diseases such as cancer, heart problems and brain disorders.

He can detect very small lesions with great precision.

Positron Emission Tomography, better known as PET for its acronym in English, is an examination that provides high-resolution images of organs and tissues of the body from a substance radioactive – called a marker – to detect a pathology or injury.

Unlike other complex studies such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, a PET detects the metabolic activity of cells and shows how organs and tissues function. This allows early detection of pathological processes including before the first symptoms of the disease manifest, since physiological changes usually precede anatomical changes.

: National Atomic Energy Commission.