Session Chairs:
Lionel S. Zuckier, M.D.  (New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ),
Pat Zanzonico, PhD.  (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY)

Thursday, August 31, 2006; 2.00 PM - 3.30 PM

Speakers:
Sadek A. Nehmeh, Ph.D. (Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY)
Michael Phelps, Ph.D.  (Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology, Director, Crump Institute of Molecular Imaging, University of California at Los Angeles)
Pat Zanzonico, Ph.D. (Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY)
Lionel Zuckier, M.D.  (Department of Radiology, New Jersey Medical School, NJ)

Synopsis:
Nuclear medicine imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography(PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are powerful methodologies that allow researchers and clinicians to image molecules of biological importance with a high degree of sensitivity, albeit with a relatively poor spatial resolution.  Radiologic anatomic imaging techniques, especially computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resolution imaging (MRI) offer excellent anatomic resolution, but often do not convey physiologic information that can reveal disease processes at a stage prior to anatomic changes.

In the last decade, there has been a fundamental shift in medical imaging.  Rather than viewing various imaging techniques as disparate and independent sources of information, researchers began to combine these data in new and innovative ways.  Initial attempts to combine the data retrospectively were stymied by difficulties in registering images obtained at different times and with patient postures and abdominal contents.  Eventually, several camera vendors developed integrated systems where multiple modalities were combined for nearly concurrent sequential imaging.  Additional synergy was obtained by converting CT image data to allow for attenuation correction of the PET and SPECT images.

In concert with development of these clinical patient systems, the NIH has promoted a large effort to advance animal models of disease, resulting in development of several animal imaging systems that combine imaging modalities.  These have been instrumental in monitoring of animal disease models.

New applications of image fusion are being developed in the clinic and laboratory.  Among those discussed will be methods of combining planar nuclear medicine images (scintigraphs) and X-rays (radiographs) with photographic images, the application of fusion techniques in the development of molecular medicine, and the fusion of non-traditional images such as autoradiographs and microscopy with cross-sectional radiographic images.

Schedule:
2:30-2:45 Lionel Zuckier, M.D.  “Clinical medical imaging, methods and shortcomings”

2:45-3:00 Sadek A. Nehmeh, Ph.D.  “Technical issues of Image registration in PET-CT and SPECT-CT systems"

3:00-3:15 Pat Zanzonico, Ph.D. “Small animal imaging systems and image fusion”

3:15-3:30 Michael Phelps, Ph.D. “"PET: Molecular Imaging Biomarkers"

3:30-3:40 Lionel Zuckier, M.D. “New applications of planar image fusion in clinical nuclear medicine and radiology”

3:40-3:50 Pat Zanzonico, Ph.D. “Broad-Spectrum Multi-Modality Image Registration:  From PET, CT, and MRI to Autoradiography, Microscopy, and Beyond."

3:50-4:00 Panel Questions and Answers