Consortium
HYPERImage addresses new areas for concurrent PET/MR with the focus on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, the two most frequent causes of death in the world. Thus we selected the leading partners in these areas to ensure the validation of this new technology.
The successful development of SiPMs usable for large detectors requires a high level of expertise in device physics, chip design and in connection technology. Additionally, it requires a very deep knowledge about the semiconductor processes enabling high speed photon detection with low dark-count-rates.
The ability to manufacture and characterize several 10.000 devices is one of the essential expertises that makes the Fondazione Bruno Kessels (FBK) the preferred partner for this task. Univertität Heidelberg (UH) has the core expertise required to process the ultra short pulses delivered by the SiPM with the development of full customized analogue and mixed mode readout systems assuring almost no interaction with the MR.
The essential parts of system design and system integration will be excellently converted by Philips Research Hamburg, which is working for Philips Medical Systems, one of the leading imaging-system companies in the area of PET and MR. Philips owns the additionally required expertise in electromagnetic and circuit design to enable true concurrent imaging. It has shown its expertise in the design of MRI front-end components and its capability in system integration in several project that directly influenced the product development of Philips Medical Systems (new design concepts for the main field magnet, gradient coil and the RF coil for a high-field open system, Panorama 1.0T).
The equivalent for PET-detector-development is Philips Research Aachen. With the recent contribution to the first time-of-flight system, the investigation on Depth-of-Interaction, system simulation and system expertise they are capable of addressing all the crucial PET-detector development within HYPERImage. As part of Philips medical system, Philips Research (Aachen and Hamburg) has both the access to the required hard and software components that are essential for a successful demonstration of the (pre)-clinical system.
The advanced PET/MR-imaging requires expertise in the area of 4D PET/MR motion, attenuation and functional data acquisition techniques, MR-methodology and application knowledge for cardiac imaging. The King's College London (KCL) is one of the leading institutes in this area. The competences in MRI methodology, PET reconstruction and hardware and the fact that they are one of the Pioneers in development of MR-compatible PET detectors qualify them as the best choice for the motion-compensated PET-reconstruction.
This competence is well supplemented with the experience and knowledge of the Univertiteit Gent (IBBT) in the area of 3D time-of-flight-PET reconstruction and Monte-Carlo-based system simulation. These two groups are excellently supplemented with the expertise of Philips Research Hamburg in the area of MR-methodology on cardiac application and quantitative MRI techniques, sequence design, prospective motion compensation and image reconstruction techniques that will be used to qualify PET/MRI for future applications.
On top of that, the outstanding experience of the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) in the area of PET image reconstruction techniques and image registration techniques is essential for the work on PET and MR data. Especially their capability of developing tools for the analysis and incorporation of respiratory motion with four-dimensional acquisition and reconstruction techniques for CT, cone beam CT and PET will be essential to have early PET/MR data available. They already have a lot of experience in motion compensation techniques for cone beam CT and PET imaging modalities which could be advanced and adapted to objectives of HYPERImage. Their excellent reputation in clinical oncology, molecular pathology, radiation oncology, radiology and nuclear medicine, mouse tumour models and animal facility prefers the NKI for the preclinical studies towards early detection, tumour staging and treatment.
The preclinical investigations towards CVD is guided via the Fundacion Centro Nacional de Investigaciones (CNIC) which is the world-wide leader in clinical magnetic resonance imaging, molecular imaging and biology research of the atherothrombosis and coronary artery disease. CNIC is the leading institution in Spain in the area for cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. On of the main objectives of HYPERImage is the validation of the PET/MR technology towards clinical applications. The experience and the track record of the Uniklinik Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and the NKI makes them the ideal partners to execute investigations in this areas.
In conclusion, the consortium consist of highly selected leading partners that have all their essential and unique contribution to the project. They are thus fully committed to the objectives of this proposal and highly motivated to ensure the objectives.
