Organ Interaction Patterns in Healthy Individuals for Improved PET/CT Diagnostics

The Siemens Quadra PET/CT, a clinically approved imaging device, is utilized in conjunction with the radiopharmaceutical tracer \[18F\]FDG in this study. The device allows for the acquisition of emission data across an extended axial field of view (axFOV) of 106 cm, covering an imaging range from the head to the thighs. The device's capabilities are leveraged to perform quantitative functional examinations of an extended axFOV. Subjects are scanned twice within a month for reproducibility standards. Each time, they are injected with 100MBq \[18F\]FDG and examined for 60 minutes in a dynamic scan. The tracer is used to build an atlas of normative glycolytic activities for most organs, excluding the brain. The glycolytic activities are measured as organ-based standardized uptake values. An ultra-low-dose CT scan is acquired to estimate mandatory attenuation correction factors.

The Apple i-Watch, a wearable smart device, is used to continuously monitor physiological signals from the subjects. These signals include heart rate, steps and distance, calories burned, sleep tracking, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), electrocardiogram (ECG), and workout tracking. Subjects are required to wear the Apple i-Watch for three months prior to the first PET scan and up to three months after the second PET scan. The data collected from the Apple i-Watch is paired with the FDG-PET image readouts to identify relationships between lifestyle and glucose uptakes during the scan.