Clinical Application of the Prototype J-PET Device

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses positron emission (e-) to image changes in diagnosed tissues. Detector systems are an important part of PET scanners. They can convert gamma photons into fluorescent photons to obtain information about energy, time and position, of the gamma photons obtained through the use of an appropriate positron-emitting radiopharmaceutical. Conventional PET scanners are expensive mostly because they require the use of LSO (lutetium oxyorthosilicate) or LYSO (lutetium yttrium oxyorthosilicate) scintillation crystals. Such crystal scintillators are very costly and difficult to obtain, which limits accessibility of the PET- scanners. The prototype J-PET scanner tested in this trial uses plastic scintillators in which different physical phenomena occur compared to crystal scintillators. In addition, the J-PET scanner prototype is equipped with unique software enabling three-photon imaging, based on the annihilation resulting from the formation of the orto-positronium (o-Ps) in diagnosed tissue. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the clinical acceptability of such scanners based on plastic scintillators, which can additionally collect and process information on the lifetime of o-Ps derived from routinely used radiopharmaceuticals. Additionally, the aim of this study is to demonstrate the use of the new diagnostic indicator "positronium biomarker" in a prospective study, compared to routine diagnostic scanning.