Abstract

What does the future hold for clinical PET/MR?

David Townsend, Director, Clinical Imaging Research Center

The simultaneous acquisition of human whole-body PET and MR data first became a reality in 2010. The formidable technical challenges were overcome by the use of MR-compatible PET detectors but the high cost of the combined technology has inhibited the adoption of PET/MR into routine clinical practice. Consequently, the early-adopters of the technology initiated a search for one or more “killer” applications that would lead to increased demand. Eventually downgraded to “key” applications, over the past six years a number of potential areas of interest have emerged, such as pediatric imaging, longitudinal imaging of patients with non-malignant disease and those where good soft tissue contrast is essential for accurate localization of pathology. However, the real potential for simultaneous PET/MR, particularly in clinical research, is predominantly where the information provided by the two modalities is complementary and temporal simultaneity is important. While PET/MR is considered a powerful research tool, its future in the clinic remains uncertain despite the identification of those important applications that can benefit from the dual modality. This presentation will review the available PET/MR technology and areas of application that have emerged, along with an assessment of where the multimodality imaging field may be heading in the future.