United Imaging has installed its uExplorer total-body PET/CT scanner at the IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna - Policlinico di Sant'Orsola in Italy.
The system allows researchers to track the distribution of a molecule throughout the human body with a single scan, shortening examination times and increasing the ability to detect small tumor metastases, the company said. Its technology was co-developed by the University of California Davis and United Imaging Healthcare. Hybrid imaging luminary Prof. Stefano Fanti will be one of the system's main users, the vendor stated.
The uExplorer has an axial field of view of 194 cm. It also features reconstruction algorithms and postprocessing software, including deep learning and AI techniques. The device allows for a reduction in radiopharmaceutical dose by more than 80%, at 0.002 millicurie per kilogram (mCi/kg) compared with the standard average of 0.8 to 0.15 mCi/kg, according to the firm.
The scanner also reduces exam time from 12 minutes to less than one minute, mitigating the need for sedation in pediatric patients or in those with limited ability to cooperate, United Imaging said.
