I-Corps: Positron Emission Tomography Helmet

West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown WV

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to improve patient outcomes by bringing whole brain imaging directly to the patient for safe, fast, and better tolerated diagnostics. Compared to existing brain imaging technologies, the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) helmet brain imager overcomes limitations related to radioactive dose, portability, motion tolerance and cost. The lower dose required by the device permits screening or longitudinal monitoring of patients in various cases, such as brain injury, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, stroke rehabilitation, Parkinson's disease, addition and other neurological and mental health disorders. The portable nature allows bedside imaging directly in patient rooms, as well as onsite imaging in military and athletic settings, including immediately after head injuries. The device's motion tolerance helps address hospital inefficiency and extra cost from rescanning patients due to movement artifacts, and the discomfort of remaining still, especially for elderly and injured patients. The low cost and small footprint compared to standard PET/CT systems, results in a device with utility beyond just large medical facilities, as it can be used in smaller rural clinics, sporting/military medical facilities, and in research studies of previously difficult to study brain functions. This I-Corps Project will help bring the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Helmet brain imager into use by clinics, sporting/ army medical centers, and research institutions. The instrument is a ring of detectors that can be placed around the head of a patient to non-invasively provide information of activity in different brain regions. This device requires only 10-25% of the typical clinical PET radiation dose due to the close proximity of the detectors to the patient's head, and published data show high efficiency and sensitivity of the detectors using industry standard testing. Moreover, the PET Helmet system can be transported to the desired location of imaging scanner, and a current research project involves testing the imager bedside for human patients with traumatic brain injury. The device moves with the head of the patient allowing for motion tolerance as well as upright imaging, and we have demonstrated appropriate task-related brain imaging during an upright walking task in human participants. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.