Petrra
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Please visit the rest of our site to learn more about PET and PETRRA’s history, our team, and our plans to redefine the PET market.
You can learn more about recent events at PETRRA on our news page and get additional information by contacting us.
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About PET
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a technique that uses specially designed radioactive tracers to non-invasively image the body’s function with particular applications to provide diagnostic images of the brain and heart and to help diagnose and treat cancer. In PET the radioactive elements used decay via positron emission which results in the emission of two back-to-back gamma rays from the annihilation of these positrons, see below.
A schematic of a nuclear decay producing two back-to-back gamma rays which are detected as a line of response (LOR) by the block detectors in a conventional positron camera
The most commonly used positron emitting radionuclides, 15O, 11C, 13N and 18F (fluorine used as a surrogate for hydrogen) are isotopes of important body elements and can be incorporated into many biological molecules including blood flow and metabolism tracers, amino acids and proteins. Images produced by PET are generally superior in spatial and quantitative accuracy and sensitivity to those obtained using a gamma camera with single photon emitters.
The device used for PET imaging is known as a positron camera which conventionally consists of a large number of block detectors arranged in a ring around the patient. Each block consists of a light-emitting, high atomic number scintillation crystal such as bismuth germanate connected to hundreds of light detector/amplifiers, known as photomultipliers (PMTs), figure 1. If a gamma ray interacts in a crystal, light is emitted, some of which is detected by the PMTs. Each PMT is connected to fast electronics and the signals produced allow are used to reconstruct a 3D image of the biodistribution of the radiotracer using special mathematical techniques and a fast computer.
A positron camera for clinical use requires a high detection efficiency for the detection of the gamma rays produced as well as excellent spatial and timing resolution. This is achieved by using a dense scintillating crystal that produces plenty of light rapidly following the interaction of a gamma ray. The density of the crystal determines the efficiency with which gamma rays are detected whilst the amount and speed of the light produced determines how fast the camera can detect the gamma rays.
The major drawback of existing systems is the
high cost due to the need for large numbers of PMTs and associated electronics.
PETRRA uses a much more cost effective technology to provide a positron camera
with a performance similar to existing systems but at a lower price and with
lower on-costs, such as maintenance.
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PETRRA’s History
PETRRA began as a UK collaboration between the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
(RAL) and the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH). RAL has a long and distinguished
history in the development of radiation detectors, primarily for use in high
energy physics. RMH, one of the world’s premier cancer research hospitals,
asked RAL to adapt its technology to the detection of metastatic tumors.
The result of this collaboration was the first-generation PETRRA PET system, installed at the RMH in 2001. The two large planar detectors provide an unprecedented 40 cm field of view (FOV), allowing a patient’s entire torso to be scanned in less than 30 minutes without repositioning. Future improvements to the system will shorten this time below 15 minutes. The figure on the left below shows a PETRRA detector in the build process indicating the large axial field of view. The figure on the right shows the system installed at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, Surrey.
A PETRRA detector under construction. The PETRRA camera installed at the Royal Marsden Hospital
The PETRRA images below show (left) the single slice Hoffman brain phantom, (centre) a preliminary half body coronal section taken with continuous bed-motion showing multiple lung cancer and (right) three coronal sections of the thorax (no bed motion) showing a sub-clavicular tumour from breast cancer. Neither patient image has been attenuation or scatter corrected.
Clinical trials conducted at the RMH have demonstrated that the first-generation
PETRRA system can produce images comparable in quality to state-of-the-art
commercial PET systems. Based on these results, PETRRA is proceeding with
the development of a clinical PET system.
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PETRRA’s Technology
PETRRA’s unique, patented approach to PET is based on technology developed
for radiation detection used in high energy physics.
The PETRRA detector uses a simple, relatively inexpensive crystal material, barium fluoride, to convert 511 keV photons into light. The key difference in PETRRA’s technology is the use of a simple, highly reliable multi-wire proportional counter (MWPC) in place of the thousands of photomultiplier tubes, amplifiers, and signal conditioning circuits required in conventional PET cameras.
As shown in the diagram below, an incident gamma ray strikes the barium fluoride crystal and is efficiently converted into light in the ultraviolet range. This light then passes out of the crystal and into a photo-ionizable vapor (not shown) that produces electrons in the conversion region. The electrons are accelerated through the pre-amplification region where they are initially detected and the signal compared with the signal from the opposing detector. If a signal is detected within the appropriate timing window (typically a few nanoseconds) then a coincident event has occurred in the other detector and the electron is allowed to pass through the coincidence gate and on to the MWPC where its position is determined very accurately using delay line circuitry. If no signal is received from the other detector then the coincidence gate remain closed and the event is rejected.
The PETRRA detector provides the capability to separately measure the energy, timing and position of each event detected, which will facilitate the use of advanced data processing techniques such as time-of-flight and energy weighting.
A schematic of the function of a PETRRA detector
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PETRRA’s Plans
PETRRA intends to redefine the PET market by introducing a system with state-of-the-art performance at a price that will make PET widely available to the health care community worldwide. Please check our website periodically to learn more about our plans.
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PETRRA’s Team
John Heinrich, Ph.D. – President & Managing Director
John Heinrich has spent more than 25 years in the management of health care technology, including diagnostic imaging, therapeutic equipment, and medical diagnostics. He led the acquisition of Meretek Diagnostics, a supplier of diagnostic tests, and served as president and COO for three years. He was previously president and CEO of Otsuka Electronics, where he was responsible for the divestiture of clinical imaging and analytical instruments business. Prior to this he served as president and COO of Summit World Trade, president and COO of Technomed International USA Inc, and VP of MR products at Technicare, a Johnson & Johnson company, and director of business development at Intermagnetics General Corporation. He began his career in project management at General Electric. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Notre Dame.
Prof. Emeritus Robert J. Ott – Co-inventor and Chief Scientist
Bob Ott has spent the last 25 years at the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital leading a research team in the development and application of radioisotope imaging techniques to cancer diagnosis and treatment. His specific expertise is in the development of scintillation counters, gas detectors and semiconductors for autoradiography, scintigraphy, SPECT and PET as well as the application of image production and processing methodology. Prior to 1980 he spent 14 years in High Energy Particle Physics working at Queen Mary College in London, McGill University in Montreal, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in California, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford and CERN in Switzerland. Bob gained his first degree and Ph.D. in physics at the University of Southampton in England and has been a Professor in Radiation Physics at the University of London since 1991.
Richard Stephenson – Co-inventor and Development Consultant
Richard has over 25 years experience in designing and building x-ray detector systems for the high energy physics community and for related fields. The application of these detector systems into medical imaging has been an ongoing quest for most of that time with several successes along the way. Though formally trained as an electronics engineer, his role developing x-ray detectors based on gas technology has led him to a wide understanding of the physical and mechanical aspects as well. Prior to working on high energy physics equipment, Richard worked as an instrument designer in the nuclear power industry.
Nick Trigg
PETRRA position: Non-Executive Director
Nick is a non-Executive Director of PETRRA and represents CLIK on the board of the company. Nick has an Engineering Degree from Oxford University and a MBA from INSEAD. He has spent much of his career in working with small technology companies in operational and advisory roles.
Nick has also worked for a technology Venture Capital fund investing in small
technologies companies at various stages of maturity, ranging from start-up
through to development capital and MBO deals.
In addition, Nick has worked in the oil industry as an electrical engineer
and since then in a variety of roles in the mobile telematics, telecommunications
components and multinational engineering/manufacturing industries.
Nick is based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
Mr F Adams
PETRRA position: Non-Executive Director
Summary Career History: *Investment Partner, Siemens Venture Capital, USA
*Venture Partner, Viventures Partners, Paris
*Director, Matrix Venture Fund VCT, London
*Investment Partner, European Equity Partners, London
*Turnround Advisor to Sporting Goods Business, London
*Corporate Finance Executive, Nomura, London
*Principal, Airtouch-Cekom, Czech Republic
*Executive, United Medical Enterprises, London and Malaysia
Dr Ian M Buckley-Golder
PETRRA position: Non-Executive Chairman
Summary Career History: *Chairman/Director of a portfolio of Stock Market
Listed and VC funded high technology businesses in the medical, electronics/software,
solid state physics areas
*Managing Director, Products and Services, AEA Technology plc, a Listed technology
innovation business based on materials, electronics, robotics and engineering
IPR
*Executive Chairman, ESI Inc, USA, an engineering services business based
in Pittsburgh, Washington and Charlotte
*Executive Chairman, EBIS Ltd, a commercial medical sterilisation business
using 12MeV electrons
*General Manager, Product Services, AEAT plc
*Commercial Manager, UKAEA
*Senior Demonstrator, Applied Physics and Electronics, University of Durham
Mr Trevor Hughes
PETRRA Position - Engineering Manager
Trevor Hughes provides 20 years experience of both product development and
project management achieved from a variety of high technology industries including;
Aerospace, Defence and Civil. He has proven capabilities, ranging from coordinating
complex multi-million pound contracts within large multi-nationals, to initial
business development and growth within new ventures.
He is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with a B.Sc.(Hons) gained at Portsmouth University.
Trevor’s primary objectives are to transpose the working prototype into a cost effective, marketable solution, whilst also developing the in-house engineering capabilities.
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News Page
December 1, 2005 – PETRRA Announces the Appointment of John P. Heinrich, Ph.D. as President and Managing Director
PETRRA Ltd., a developer of next-generation PET systems, announced today the appointment of John P. Heinrich, Ph.D. as president and managing director. Dr. Heinrich brings extensive experience to the top management position at PETRRA, having spent more than 25 years in health care, primarily in diagnostic imaging, and more than 20 years in executive management of a number of medical equipment firms. December 2005 – PETRRA Announces Receipt of £200,000 in Seed Funding from the Rainbow Development Fund
PETRRA Ltd., a developer of next-generation PET systems, announced today the receipt of a £200,000 investment from the Rainbow Development Fund. Rainbow is a leading early-stage investment fund with positions in a wide range of technology companies.
January 10, 2006 – PETRRA Announces Receipt of £71K DTI Grant for Technology Development
PETRRA Ltd. announced today the receipt of a £71,596 grant from the Innovation Group of the Department of Trade and Industry. The grant is intended to provide partial support for PETRRA’s technology development program, which is intended to validate key elements of PETRRA’s next-generation PET system design. Dr. John Heinrich, PETRRA’s president and managing director, commented that “the DTI grant will allow us to accelerate the completion of our development program and begin manufacture of the PETRRA Mark II camera, which will provide the diagnostic imaging market with an unprecedented combination of imaging performance and economics.”
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Contact Page
Address: PETRRA
Ltd
CLIK,
Rutherford
Appleton Laboratory,
Chilton,
DIDCOT,
Oxfordshire,
OX11
0QX
Telephone: 44 (0)
1235 778380
Fax: 44
(0) 1235 446368
Email: info@PETRRA.com.
Individual email addresses: