Sistema PET/MR híbrido: aplicação para imageamento in vivo em ambiente de máxima biocontenção

Abstract

The imaging of living organisms, in its different techniques and applications, corresponds to the least invasive and most pragmatic way to analyze the development of infectious processes, in addition to its many other applications for biological research. Specifically with regard to in vivo investigations of infections by highly pathogenic microorganisms, the use of positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging allow the anatomically longitudinal assessment of the infectious course, that is, without the need to resort to the traditional method of euthanasia in series of animals under study. Considering these premises, the CNPEM (National Center for Research in Energy and Materials) was the organization chosen to house the first national maximum containment laboratory, promoting the innovative association of beamlines with maximum biocontainment laboratories. Thus, enabling the analysis of animal models of infections at higher resolutions both at the cellular and morphological levels. The present project proposes to complement the work to be carried out on the beamlines, saving their precious operating time and allowing an additional layer of data to be added to the research to be carried out in biosafety laboratories. Thus, the scope of the project is the broad technical and technological understanding, specification, infrastructure design, acquisition, and biocontained installation of a commercial PET/MR equipment to be initially allocated in a conventional laboratory environment and, later, to be relocated in the future Virology. This proposal aims to establish a coexistence of the CNPEM team with the experience of in vivo imaging, enabling the realization of experiments that guide the future decisions of the configurations of the biocontained installations, in addition to allowing the development of the engineering team regarding the technologies of positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance, signal detection and image processing.