The two constituent systems of this large-scale machine have different advantages. With the extremely strong magnetic field of the MRT scanner, the resolution of the images is substantially increased relative to a model with 1.5 tesla — the magnetic field strengths usually used in hospitals.

The PET scanner, on the other hand, can make brain activities and metabolic processes visible, which allows inferences to be made about tumor tissue. There are different kinds of PET examinations. Usually a patient gets injections of a very small dose of weakly radioactive liquid, which accumulates in cells with an elevated metabolic rate, for example. Positrons are released at these locations. Detectors record the radiation which results when positrons encounter electrons, making it possible to identify tumor cells on the basis of their metabolism. The Juelich researchers want to develop opportunities for diagnosis and therapy of brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, which up to now could not be treated or prevented. Foremost, they are researching the structure and the mechanisms of the brain in general. Siemens in turn hopes that this cooperation will make it possible to determine if there are new applications for MRT and for the combination of MRT and PET.
 
Reference Number: IN 2009.05.2e