The History of PET Scans

A PET scan is image technology that uses radiation to create images of the body so conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders can be detected. PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography. The body images displayed on PET scans demonstrate the chemistry of organs and other tissues, such as tumors, using metabolic energy. Tumors and cysts are more dense, therefore have more metabolic energy than regular tissues. Accordingly, the metabolic energy shows up as darker images on PET scans, which helps with diagnosis of tumors and other abnormal activity in the body.

Beginnings

• In 1953, the young daughter of a Rhode Island farmer traveled to Boston to find a doctor to diagnose a neurological problem that left her unable to read. When her neurosurgeon could not help her, he enlisted the help of Dr. Gordon L. Brownwell. A year later, Dr. Brownwell invented a scanning machine that displayed the location of a tumor in the girl's brain. The tumor was isolated and successfully removed. The technology that Dr. Brownwell invented was the basis of, and later evolved into PET scans.

Inventor

• The PET Scan was invented in 1973 by Michael E. Phelps, a UCLA medical examiner. Phelps was one of the first to show how different parts of the brain are activated when performing mental tasks. Phelps helped to advanced medical imaging by producing four generations of PET scanners. These included the prototypes that all modern-day PET scans are based on.

The 1970s

• PET scans were officially introduced to the medical community in the 1970s. At this time, PET scans were viewed as an exciting and innovative way to view diseases in the body. The first PET scanners held only a small amount of radiation to transmit an image; therefore, the images obtained by the scanners were of low quality and definition. Also, using PET scans required a large team of professionals including chemists, physicists and physicians.

The 1980s

• During the 1980s, the technology underlying PET scans advanced greatly. More precise resolution and images were developed on commercial scanners. Accordingly, many of the steps involved in operating a PET machine were automated and could be performed by a physician or trained technician. This decreased the complexity of the scanning procedures and reduced the cost.

2000

• Modern PET scanners are more advanced, expensive pieces of equipment. They are much easier to install and operate, and are evolved enough to even produce movies of parts of the body. Over the last several years, the major advance in this technology is that it is combined with a CT scanner as one device. The modern PET/CT scanner decreases study times and provides more diagnostic information. Some of the earlier roadblocks to using PET scanners are no longer present.