(Apologies for adding to what is a mute debate. This just for context.)
The term FOV in PET scans refers to Field of View. All scanners have a specific FOV, which determines the area of the body that can be imaged at once.
Older scanners are known as SAFOV PET scanners (Short Axis Field of View). These scanners can only image a small section of the body at a time, requiring multiple movements to cover larger areas. This process takes longer and is less efficient, especially for cancer staging, which often requires imaging a large portion of the body.
Newer scanners, referred to as LAFOV PET scanners (Long Axis Field of View), can image much larger areas in one scan, sometimes even the entire body from head to toe. For instance, a scanner with a 194 cm FOV (uEXPLORER) can capture images of even very tall individuals in a single pass. This advancement allows for quicker imaging, improved patient throughput, and greater efficiency in clinical settings.
It is important to note that these new LAFOV scanners still use the same radioactive tracers, such as Gallium, Fluorine, Copper, and Lead. These tracers were not developed for a specific scanner or company (and vice versa). They are universally used in PET imaging.
Products like Pylarify from Lantheus, Illuccix from Telix, and the Cu64 tracer from Clarity are examples of these tracers, which are injected into the patient before the scan. The scanner then captures images based on how these tracers behave in the body.
Finally, while the combination of LAFOV scanners with AI has led to increased sensitivity and improved imaging outcomes, this advancement benefits the entire field, not just a specific company or product. This point lies outside the core discussion, so I will leave it here.
Ah, before I go, something else was supposed to revolutionarise imaging: PET/MRI, a previous best thing after sliced bread, was meant to replace PET/CT! But even today, it's use is limited to a few centres, with the majority of scanners in use being CT based (PET/CT). The point is: (I believe) its gonna be the tracer that leads for quite a long and forseable future, not the LA in LAFOV PET. Telix have shown that to everyone who is watching: deliver a small kit for making a useable tracer, and you make a billion a year!
What a mute debate we are having folks!
Good luck to all holders - as we wait for the results announcement which should be due anytime!
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(20min delay)