一種用于小動物的掃描設備現在用于鑒別人類嬰兒的大腦疾病。

微型PET掃描在動物中使用已經有一段時間。較大型的微型PET掃描儀已經在兒童和成人中使用，但是當用于嬰兒的時候并不精確。Harry Chugani博士是美國Hutzel醫院的放射科醫生，已經開始使用動物影像檢查儀，其大小與一臺小冰箱差不多，來評估只有2磅左右的嬰兒大腦中的化學物質。

Chugani博士 已經在California-Los Angeles大學中開始動物實驗。他現在是Michigan兒童醫院PET中心的主任。

該設備最近獲得了美國食品藥品管理局的批準。Chugani博士得到了這些設備中的一種，從2004年下半年開始已經在30例嬰兒中開始了影像檢查。微型PET掃描儀已經診斷出了某些疾病，例如癲癇發作的來源，或者腦癱癥狀和其它大腦疾病。他同時還希望使用這種掃描儀來評估和預測大腦疾病，并對嬰兒大腦愈合有更多的了解。研究人員相信這種新型影像檢查能夠對嬰兒大腦疾病提供新型檢查與治療。

Small Scanner for Infant Use
 
A scanning device created for use on small animals is now helping to identify brain disorders in human infants.

Micro-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been used for quite a while only on animals. A larger type of the micro-PET scanner has been used on children and adults but is imprecise when used on infants. Dr. Harry Chugani, a radiologist at the Hutzel Hospital (Detroit, MI, USA), has begun utilizing the animal imager, which is approximately the size of a small refrigerator, to evaluate the chemicals in infants’ brains weighing as little as two pounds.

Dr. Chugani has conducted animal studies at the University of California-Los Angeles (USA). He is now director of the PET Center at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

The device was recently approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Dr. Chugani acquired one of the devices and has used it perform imaging studies on 30 infants since late 2004. The micro-PET scanner has already identified problems such as the source of epileptic seizures or signs of cerebral palsy and other brain disorders. He also hopes to use the scanner to evaluate and predict mental illnesses and try to learn more about how infant brains heal. Researchers believe that this new imaging modality may provide insights into newer types of detection and treatment for infant brain disorders.