Imaging Performance Evaluation of a Human 7T BrainPET insert
Nuklearmedizin - NuclearMedicine, vol. 65, pp. 121
Abstract
Ziel/Aim: Acquiring hybrid MR/PET images simultaneously enables access to multiple biological parameters, including the function and structure of the human brain. We evaluated the imaging performance and MR compatibility of an in-house developed ultra-high field (UHF) MRI-compatible PET insert offering highest and homogeneous spatial resolution for in vivo neuroscientific studies, combining the advantages of UHF MRI with the molecular information obtained using PET. Methodik/Methods: The BrainPET-7T insert comprises 120 scintillation detectors arranged in five rings, allowing for a PET axial field of view (FOV) of 24.8 cm and an inner free diameter of 36.8 cm for inserting a custom-made transceiver array for dedicated head MR imaging which covers the entire PET FOV, and which has a patient opening of 27 cm. To achieve homogeneous spatial resolution across the entire PET FOV, each scintillation detector consists of three staggered layers of LSO, with a total of 1634 scintillation pixels and a pixel pitch of 2 mm. The performace evaluations were done according to the NEMA standards for human PET and the Standard IEC 62464 for determining essential image quality parameters of MRI. The mutual interference of both modalities was also evaluated. Ergebnisse/Results: The measured energy and timing resolutions (FWHM) of the 7T BrainPET insert are 14% and 620 ps, respectively. The PET transversal spatial resolution is≈1.6 mm and is not affected by MR. The peak NECR was measured to be 276 kcps at 16.3 kBq/ml and the system sensitivity without shielded coil array was 10.16% (energy window: 440-594 keV). The MR image SNR/image uniformity was 44.03/0.90 and 48.35/0.89 with and without PET, respectively. The RF noise acquisitions show no differences when comparing spurious noise scans with and without running PET. Schlussfolgerungen/Conclusion: The new 7T BrainPET insert system provides simultaneous high-quality PET and MR images with no relevant interference or incompatibility between the two modalities. Publication History Article published online: 02 April 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany
Authors 32
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Affinity Imaging GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Integrated Computing Architectures – Peter Grünberg Institute 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Integrated Computing Architectures – Peter Grünberg Institute 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Integrated Computing Architectures – Peter Grünberg Institute 4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Technology and Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Technology and Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Technology and Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Technology and Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Technology and Engineering, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Hyperion Hybrid Imaging Systems GmbH, Aachen, Deutschland
Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Hyperion Hybrid Imaging Systems GmbH, Aachen, Deutschland
Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Hyperion Hybrid Imaging Systems GmbH, Aachen, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Hyperion Hybrid Imaging Systems GmbH, Aachen, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 5, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen, now with Bruker Biospin GmbH & Co KG, Aachen, Deutschland
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Affiliation as printed
Inviscan Imaging Systems SA, Strasbourg, Frankreich
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Affiliation as printed
Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Monash, Australien
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Affiliation as printed
Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Monash, Australien
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Affiliation as printed
Hyperion Hybrid Imaging Systems GmbH, Aachen, Deutschland
Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Deutschland
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Deutschland
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Deutschland
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine – 11, JARA – BRAIN – Translational Medicine, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Jülich, Deutschland
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