SMV expects clearance for PET/CT this summer

At this year’s Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting, imaging systems that fused PET with CT was a feature seen at a few vendor booths, including GE and SMV of Ohio. SMV displayed a combination PET/CT system called Positrace that was first seen at last year’s RSNA meeting.

“SMV anticipated that these two technologies belong together,” said Lonnie Mixon, SMV’s vice president of worldwide marketing.

The first Positrace system has been installed in France. SMV applied for a 510(k) for the system in May. It expects approval by the end of August.

The device uses specialized digital detectors in a hexagonal ring configuration with thick NaI crystals. Although the system looks like a single unit, the CT scanner is attached to the PET scanner on one end. The Positrace has a 50-cm axial view and a 70-cm patient aperture.

“This reduces the claustrophobic sensation,” Mixon said.