What is a PET/CT Scanner?
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive, imaging technology that allows examination of metabolic activity in the brain, heart, liver, tumors and muscle tissue. It can help detect diseases weeks or months before symptoms appear, while the patient is comfortable, conscious and alert. HSC’s PET is combined with Computed Tomography (CT), providing higher resolution and greater accuracy than previously possible. Our combined PET/CT is one of the most advanced imaging technologies available in North America. What is a cyclotron? A cyclotron is the partner technology to the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner. It is the technology that produces the radioisotope that is used to image patients during a PET scan. The radioisotopes produced by the cyclotron have a half life ranging from 2 minutes to 110 minutes, which necessitates production on-site for the shorter half life isotopes. A cyclotron operates by spinning charged particles in ever expanding circles until they hit a
