Example of Laboratory Work

A sequence of consecutive positron emission tomography "slices" through the head of a mouse is shown below. Each slice is 0.4 mm thick, and resolution in each image is approximately 1 mm. These images are from the vertex view looking down on the top of the head which is the only object in the field-of-view. The animal is looking towards the top of the figure in each image.

This figure portrays the regional concentration and distribution of F-18 fluoride throughout the mouse head. Since this positron emitting radiotracer rapidly accumulates in bone after intravenous administration, only the bones in the head are visible and soft tissue structures such as the brain and muscle are not. Darker structures represent regions of high bone uptake of fluoride, regions with larger bone mass, or both. At this resolution, many small and intricate bony structures can be seen including the left and right zygomatic arches, upper and lower jaws, small bones in the nasal area and a labeling of a left to right posterior skull suture that passes through a number of slices in depth.

The instrument that made these images was designed and built by the Imaging Physics Lab for the purpose of investigating experimentally the physical and biological factors that limit spatial resolution in PET. The pictures shown here are among the highest resolution PET images ever made of a biologic specimen.