Preclinical PET and SPECT Instrumentation

Non-invasive imaging of small animals has become one of the cornerstones of basic and preclinical research. Revolutionary developments in the field of high-resolution in vivo imaging technologies in the last few decades have enabled visualization of biological processes and drug distribution in living organisms as well as the study of disease in real time with the ability to repeatedly monitor disease progression or response to treatment. Nuclear medicine imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) are among the imaging methods most widely used for the development of drugs with high translational potential into the clinic. This article focuses on the fundamental principles behind PET and SPECT technologies and instrumentation used for imaging of small animals. In addition, comparison of preclinical and clinical scanners and brief insights into the hybrid imaging modalities for small animals are provided. Finally, we discuss some future prospects regarding preclinical nuclear medicine imaging methods.