FRIDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- The first device to perform
simultaneous PET (position emission tomography) and MRI (magnetic
resonance imaging) scans has been approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, the agency said Friday.
PET scans involve injection of a radioactive tracer into the
bloodstream, which gives doctors a glimpse of internal organs and
tissue. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create
detailed images of the body's organs, soft tissue and bones.
The Siemens Biograph mMR system creates both types of images at
the same time, lowering overall radiation exposure and preventing
the need to move a patient to two different scanners, the FDA said
in a news release.
As with stand-alone MRIs, people with pacemakers, defibrillators
and other implanted electronic devices should avoid the new system,
since the scanner's strong magnetic fields could interfere with
those devices, the agency said.
Siemens Medical Solutions is based in Malvern, Penn.
More information
Cleveland Clinic has more about
PET scans and MRIs.