Calibration and Performance of the Fully Engineered YAP-(S)PET Scanner for Small Rodents.

Functional imaging of small animals,such as mice and rats,using high-performance positron emission tomography (PET)and single-photon emission tomography (SPECT), is becoming a valuable tool for studying animal models of human disease. The possibility to use either PET or SPECT allows the scientist to exploit the advantages of both techniques, e.g., the wide range of easily accessible single-photon radiotracers for SPECT and the exquisite performance of PET. The combination of PET and SPECT techniques for small-animal studies could offer the unique possibility of developing new and interesting protocols for the investigation of many biological phenomena more effectively than with PET or SPECT modality alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]