In May 2022, PET scanning took a leap to the next level in Turku Finland. In Turku PET Center a next generation PET/CT scanner allowing real-time imaging of the whole body (vertex to thigh), Siemens Quadra, was installed.
Now there are only a dozen similar devices in the world. Whole body PET scanning has the potential to investigate total body kinetics, interaction between the body organs especially the interaction between the brain and the body as well as enabling low radiation dose studies.
Oxygen-15 labelled water (Radiowater 15O-H2O) is used for PET blood flow studies. Radiowater is a perfect fit for whole body studies. Whilst typically used for cardiac perfusion studies to detect cardiac diseases, a Radiowater Cardiac perfusion study with Siemens Quadra allows entire body images to be captured with no additional effort. The benefit of such study is to investigate the blood perfusion kinetic effect in the body due cardiac arterial disease and to see the effect of stress cardiac perfusion to other organs as well as the interaction between the heart and the brain. These investigations can lead to new potential detection and treatment of cardiac diseases in the heart and cardiac disease affected organs.
Oxygen-15 is one of the first radiotracer produced since the early days of Positron Emission Tomography. Due to its short half-life (122 sec), it has been a challenge in the past to produce the radiowater dose. About twenty years ago, Hannu Sipilä, a radiochemist in Turku PET Center invented the automated production system and the dual membrane Radiowater diffusion method.
The Hidex Radiowater Generator together with the diffusion cartridge can provide a safe and convenient production control in a sterile and sealed diffusion chamber. This enables high patient throughput with repeatable cardiac perfusion study results. We are enormously proud to be a part of this new era of whole-body PET scanning with Radiowater in Turku, the hometown of Radiowater Generator System.
