SAIF PET, SPECT, and CT Services

The PET Center operates various PET, SPECT, and CT scanners for different research and scanning needs.

Equipment

Small Animal PET/CT Scanner: The Molecubes Beta-Cube is available for performing mouse and rat PET scans. The system has a high spatial resolution (1  mm), with high sensitivity and large transverse field-of-view of 130 mm enabling whole body mouse imaging.  Dynamic reconstruction is also available. The Molecubes X-Cube is available for performing CT scans after a PET scan for anatomical co-registration and correction of PET images.

Small Animal CT Scanners: There are two small animal CT scanners available. The Molecubes X-Cube with a high resolution (~80 µm) is available for performing stand-alone mouse and rat helical CT scans. Respiratory gating is available. The MILabs U-CT is an ultra-high resolution (~20 µm) small-to-medium sized animal CT scanner. With a larger bore size, this scanner is capable of imaging animals up to 5 kg.

Small Animal SPECT/CT Scanner: The MILabs U-SPECT is available for performing mouse SPECT scans. The system has a high spatial resolution (0.4mm). Multi-isotope acquisition is available. Cardiac and/or respiratory gating is available. The MILabs U-CT is available for performing CT scans after a SPECT scan for anatomical co-registration and correction of SPECT images.

Cyclotron and radiochemistry facility: The cyclotron facility houses a Japan Steel Works BC3015, 30 MeV cyclotron and an IBA 18 MeV Cyclone machine. The JSW cyclotron is capable of accelerating p, d, 3He, and 4He. Beam currents of 10-20 mA are typical with a maximum current capability of 30-40 mA. We use protons at 22 MeV to produce 11C, 13N and most 18F-labeled tracers, and deuterons at 11 MeV for 15O, 18F-DOPA and 18F-EF-5, (the latter two are produced from 18F gas). The IBA cyclotron provides for higher beam currents than are available on the JSW machine. Specifically, the 18F- production yield increases from 1.5 Ci to 10 Ci and 11C yield increases from 1 Ci to 2.5 Ci, thereby increasing yields of research tracers. While the JSW can only irradiate 1 target at a time, the IBA is capable of irradiating 2 targets simultaneously.

Rates

There are a variety of radiotracers available, and an additional charge applies depending upon the particular radiotracer used. Please contact Joel Karp at joelkarp@pennmedicine.upenn.edu for more information.

Contact

Joel Karp, PhD
Co-Director, Nuclear Medicine Sub-Core and Professor of Radiologic Physics in Radiology 
Phone: 215-662-3073
Email: joelkarp@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Mark Sellmyer, MD, PhD
Co-Director, Nuclear Medicine Sub-Core
Phone: 617-543-6546
Email: mark.sellmyer@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Eric Blankemeyer
Technical Director, Nuclear Medicine Sub-Core
Phone: 215-898-4215
Email: eriblank@pennmedicine.upenn.edu