Siemens has installed the world’s first combination MRI/PET machine at the hospital of Munich Technical University. The obvious benefit of obtaining both structural (3T MRI) and functional (PET) images at the same time cannot be overstated, and oncologists, surgeons, and other clinicians should be getting excited. The new system, dubbed Biograph mMR, is yet to receive regulatory approval and will be undergoing clinical testing in the meantime.
While MR provides exquisite morphological and functional details in human tissue, PET goes further to investigate the human body at the level of cellular activity and metabolism. The innovative system has the potential to be a particularly valuable tool for identifying neurological, oncological and cardiac conditions of disease and in supporting the planning of appropriate therapies. Since MRI does not emit ionizing radiation, Biograph mMR may provide an added benefit with lower-dose imaging. The Biograph mMR also opens new opportunities for research, such as the development of new biomarkers or new therapeutic approaches.
Initial research suggests that with this system, Molecular MR can scan the entire body in as little as 30 minutes for the combined exams, compared to one hour or more for sequential MR and PET examinations.
Siemens video presenting the Biograph mMR…
Press release: A world’s first in imaging – integrated whole-body molecular MR system available for clinical use testing