Apollo Hospitals will install a PET CT and a PET MR, which is first of its kind across South Asia, in the PET SUITE, signifying a tremendous advancements in imaging capabilities. This unique concept of PET SUITE, consisting of PET-CT and PET-MR, is the only one of its kind facility in the world comprising comprehensive cutting edge technology. PET MR system has resulted from the amalgamation of a state-of-the-art whole body 3T MRI scanner and a high-end PET system, which has been fully integrated and precisely aligned within the same gantry. This enables technicians to simultaneously acquire accurate information on morphology, function and metabolism.
Speaking on this occasion, Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “First to bring PET SUITE to South Asia, Apollo Hospitals Group continues to deliver on its promise to bring the most advanced in patient care. It’s a tremendous leap forward in imaging capabilities. Our highly trained doctors will now use one of the world’s most advanced combination scanners which will give them highly defined, 3-D images, enabling them to make the best choices about treatments across specialties. And since PET MR is a system that can simultaneously acquire data across the whole body, the scanning takes less time thereby reducing the patient discomfort. As MR has no radiation, the PET MR significantly reduces overall radiation dose, making it safer for paediatrics and patients undergoing repeated studies for therapy monitoring.”
The PET-CT facility being equipped with state-of-the-art 427 slice /sec CT scanner, Ultra HDPET with highly specialised 4D respiratory gating software is a boon for cancer patients as the radiotherapists would be able to deliver highly precise radiation dose, synchronised with patients’ breathing pattern. The advantages of the PET MR system would be its superior quality images with better soft tissue contrast, leading to better localisation and characterisation of lesions. Other than its application in cancer, PET MR will play a greater role in understanding various disease processes in cardiology and neurological diseases. Its ‘zero’ radiation exposure from the machine (unlike CT), makes it safe for pediatric case evaluation, reproductive age group women and can be used for disease follow up. PET MR will establish a new understanding of the previously unknown interrelation between different measures of pathology and physiology in human body. With the enhanced ability to explore correlations between structure and function, perfusion and metabolism, tissue diffusivity and cell proliferation; PET MR potentiates our ability of gaining new insight into the progress of disease, unlocking new paths to treatment or even opening new areas of research.
The PET SUITE will be formally launched by the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit on February 16, 2013.