Researchers at the CAS Institute of High Energy Physics have been successful in developing China's first miniature positron emission tomography (PET). Preliminary tests show that its technological indexes basically reach the design specifications.
PET is a powerful imaging technique that holds great promise in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Micro-PET allows serial and longitudinal studies to be performed on the same living animal, enabling researchers to follow a single animal over time and monitor the effects of interventions on disease progression and outcome. It will be particularly valuable for studying genetically modified animals that exhibit high variability or are unique or valuable. Demand for this technology has been created by accelerated progress in decoding the human genome, development of transgenic mice, and rapid proliferation of small animal models of human disease.
