ABSTRACT
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that provides three-dimensional tomographic images of radiotracer distribution within a living subject. This chapter discusses the development of bio-molecules and their applications in cardiovascular research. The physical property to be measured by PET is the activity concentration of radiolabeled tracer in a subject. A positron travels away from its mother nucleus with a range determined by its initial kinetic energy. Because the original location of the bio-molecule and the location of annihilation are not the same, there is an uncertainty that limits the image resolution achievable by Positron emission tomography. The detection of annihilation photons relies on gamma ray detectors that can effectively determine the energy, time, and position of incoming photons of 511 keV energy. Several physical properties affect photons’ interaction with material and efficiency of signal detection.
