Molecular imaging is a speciality which focuses on invivo imaging of the fundamental molecular pathways which could act as a bio-marker for various pathologies. The various modalities which come under molecular imaging are MRI, CT, Ultrasound X-ray,DSA, PET, SPECT, Optical imaging, Near infrared imaging.
MRPET is a hybrid imaging facility under Department of NIIR which merges the advantages of both MR and PET in the same study. This facility was inaugurated by our honourable Prime minister Narendra Modi in 2015. Clinical services of MRI started since May 2015 and simultaneous MRPET studies started since April 2016. The setup is the first of its kind in the country in a Government setup. This facility is unique in the sense that it focuses on MRPET imaging of brain and whole body in various neuro psychiatric conditions.
Different neuropsychiatric conditions can be imaged to characterize pathology right from structural to functional to molecular level and hence the name molecular MR(MMR). Then also, since MR does not involve radiation unlike PET / CT. The radiation exposure is reduced to one third and is a modality of choice in the workup of paediatric cases and surveilance scans.
With the possibility of whole body imaging it is the one stop modality to evaluate from head to toe. We also have a dedicated facility for doing the same under general anaesthesia.
Presently the PG residents of neuroimaging and interventional radiology are being trained in MRPET workup, reporting. Approximately 15 cases of MRPET are being done per week and around 100 MRI cases per week.
Medical cyclotron facility was inaugurate by our honourable President Ram Nath Kovind in the year 2017. The cyclotron has been functional since 2018. Medical cyclotron is a linear particle accelerator in which the charged particles are subjected to varying voltages in a static magnetic field to synthesize radio active isotopes. The permanent license from AERB was obtained for the facility on 26th January 2019. The main focus of this facility is to develop newer bio-markers which includes radiopharmaceuticals and MRI probes which could aid hybrid imaging in various neuro psychiatric conditions.
SPECT is a facility which was inaugurated in 2007. It is a tomographic imaging technique which uses gamma rays which is later fused with CT to improve the resolution of the image. It provides services in various neuro and psychiatric disorders.
Animal MRPET is planned as an expansion at this facility to further increase the research on neuro and psychiatric diseases.
The future expansion of this centre includes addition of any other newer imaging modality such as optical imaging, near infrared imaging for diagnostic and also training in hybrid programs in technical and medical branches of medicine.