The first full body scanner arrives to change tomography in real time and is up to 40 times less invasive

Most major investigations do not happen overnight. This is the case of EXPLORER, the first full body medical scanner capable of capturing three-dimensional images from head to toe. Simon Cherry and Ramsey Badawi, scientists at the University of California at Davis, have successfully applied this positron emission tomography or & # 39; PET & # 39 ;, for its acronym in English.

The original idea came into existence in 2011, with a $ 1.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, but later in 2015, funding was expanded with $ 15.5 million from the NIH. At the end of November 2018, they managed to display the first images captured with their body scanner and in the spring of 2019, it should be extended to some Sacramento hospitals.

A faster and less intrusive body scanner

By using positron emission tomography and X-ray tomography (CT), this machine can produce images in just one second. Some images show features that are not usually seen in conventional PET scanners. EXPLORER is 40 times faster and allows you to produce Complete diagnostic analysis of the whole body in about 20 or 30 seconds.

With this scanner, creators ensure that it will be possible to improve the monitoring of the metabolism and the excretion of many substances. In addition, how do some drugs affect the whole body? A concrete example of this can be seen in the distribution of a radiolabeled sugar (fluorodeoxyglucose) throughout the body. The substance is injected into the body and, thanks to EXPLORER, one can see in real time how the sugar circulates in the heart and is distributed in the arteries. In addition, after a few minutes, you can see what part of the substance is moving from the kidneys to the bladder and is progressively remaining in the heart or brain.

In addition to offering really catchy images, the scanner would also get a radiation dose up to 40 times lower than a standard PET. This opens the door to new studies that, until now, have been rejected as too intrusive. For example, repeated scans can be performed on the same patient or in pediatric studies where the radiation to which children are exposed is more thoroughly controlled.

In collaboration with the Shanghai-based United Imaging Healthcare (UIH) department, the two scientists developed this platform-based scanner that can be exported to other health markets to be offered in hospitals or hospitals. 39, other research centers. In the words of Simon Cherry:

I do not think we'll see many EXPLORER systems around the world soon. But it depends on the demonstration of the benefits of the system, both clinically and for research. We are now focusing on planning studies that will demonstrate the benefits that EXPLORER will bring to our patients and contribute to our knowledge of the human body as a whole, in terms of health and illness.

The applications of this new complete tomographic scanner are very varied. In addition to offering 3D images in a shorter time, it can also be used to trace of marked drugs analyze how they are distributed throughout the body, improve the diagnosis of certain diseases by controlling the evolution of the disease and use it to explore new drugs.

More information | UC Davis