Real-time landmark-based unrestrained animal tracking system for motion-corrected PET/SPECT imaging

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Jefferson Lab and are collaborating to develop a new high-resolution single photon emission tomography (SPECT) instrument to image unrestrained laboratory animals. This technology development will allow functional imaging studies to be performed on the animals without the use of anesthetic agents. This technology development could have eventual clinical applications for performing functional imaging studies on patients that cannot remain still (Parkinson´s patients, Alzheimer´s patients, small children, etc.) during a PET or SPECT scan. A key component of this new device is the position tracking apparatus. The tracking apparatus is an integral part of the gantry and designed to measure the spatial position of the animal at a rate of 10-15 frames per second with sub-millimeter accuracy. Initial work focuses on brain studies where anesthetic agents or physical restraint can significantly impact physiologic processes.