Portable PET System Enables Real-Time Bedside Guidance for Biopsies and Ablations

Interventional radiology procedures typically rely on ultrasound, X-ray fluoroscopy, or computed tomography for image guidance. These modalities visualize anatomy but offer limited molecular information, and dedicated positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) suites are expensive and scarce. Access barriers can hinder accurate targeting for biopsies and tumor ablations in many hospitals. To help address this challenge, researchers have developed a portable, bedside point-of-care pPET system that provides real-time imaging during interventions.

Developed at Washington University in St. Louis, the portable point-of-care PET system is designed for bedside use in constrained clinical environments. The technology aims to deliver molecular imaging information during procedures without the need for a dedicated PET/CT suite. It is intended to guide biopsies, tumor ablations, and other interventional tasks while offering a cost-effective deployment pathway for hospitals.

The system uses a robotic arm to position PET detector panels at user-selected locations around the patient so any organ of interest can be imaged. It supports interactive scanning with a real-time image updating strategy, allowing clinicians to receive visual feedback while data are still being acquired. This design is intended to align image acquisition with procedural decision-making at the bedside.

In feasibility testing, a phantom containing three clusters of radiotracer-filled rods was imaged as detector panels were moved to six positions chosen by the user. Image reconstruction began with five iterations using data from the first position and then alternated single-iteration updates as data from each new position became available. Because data acquisition time exceeded reconstruction time, images were continuously refreshed throughout the scan.

When compared with a conventional framework that reconstructs images only after a completed scan, the real-time approach produced comparable image quality. Phantom structures became clearly distinguishable after three to four positions, indicating that scanning could be stopped early once the imaging objective was met. Image quality could also be improved with additional positions or more reconstruction iterations. The work was presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) 2026 Annual Meeting, and a prototype suitable for initial human imaging studies is planned, with studies expected to begin in 2027.

“A portable PET device with real-time imaging capability could bring vast information and benefits from molecular imaging to interventional radiology procedures,” said Yuan-Chuan Tai, Ph.D., senior author, from Washington University in St. Louis. "To address this unmet need, we developed a portable point-of-care PET system with a robotic arm that can position detector panels at arbitrary locations to image any organ of interest."

“This proposed approach better supports interactive and adaptive imaging workflows at the bedside. It represents a paradigm shift that offers new avenues to deploy novel molecular imaging applications,” stated Xiyan Li, a graduate researcher in Imaging Science doctoral program at Washington University in St. Louis.

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