For ~25 years the Radiation Detector and Imaging Group with involvement from numerous collaborators has developed many application specific radiation imaging systems based on positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Several clinical instruments have been built to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
New Biomedical Instrumentation and Imaging Devices
Imaging of human physiology is achieved with pharmaceuticals that are labeled with gamma-ray or positron emitting radionuclides. The JLab Radiation Detector and Imaging Group has developed and evaluated compact, radioisotope imaging systems as well as hand-held imaging and non-imaging intraoperative probes. The goals of the devices are to improve understanding of human physiology and disease mechanisms and ultimately improve patient care. There are two main application areas: 1) dedicated organ imaging for cancer, including breast, brain and heart imaging and 2) high resolution, high sensitivity gamma imaging of small animals. The biomedical devices have improved sensitivity/resolution characteristics compared with commercially available instruments.
The JLab Radiation Detector and Imaging Group has ongoing biomedical partnerships with several academic institutions for instrumentation development and testing. The Group collaborates with Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland Baltimore, the University of Virginia, and West Virginia University, Additionally, the Group has projects with Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute.
Advanced Detectors for Medical and Biology Imaging