The PET Pharmacokinetic course has been organized annually seventeen times before, and this will be the eighteenth. Previous courses have been held at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland, Rigshospitalet Copenhagen, Denmark, the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Montreal Neurological Institute, Canada, at the Groningen University Hospital, and most recently again at Rigshospitalet Copenhagen, Denmark. This time the course will be organized by Hidehiro Iida from National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Gitte Moos Knudsen from Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Klaus Leenders from Groningen, The Netherland, and Hiroshi Watabe from National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka.
The main aim of the course is to explain pharmacokinetics in the context of PET measurements. Taking the brain as a model, various examples of quantifying the time course of radiolabelled substances, such as water or glucose, with the PET camera are developed. Three measurement fields are addressed:
regional cerebral blood flow, glucose utilization, and neuro-receptor binding. For each topic, theoretical models for analyzing the PET signal obtained will be explained. The mathematical techniques and pharmacological concepts required are introduced separately.
Computer exercises, designed to complement the theoretical parts and to encourage the interaction between participants and tutors, together with computer simulations shown in some of the presentations, help to merge theory with practice.
Course materials – course text and MATLAB applications – are available free of charge to participants. The course is open to everyone, and has previously enjoyed a good interaction between physicists, neurologists, pharmacologists, imaging science specialists, nuclear medicine physicians, chemists, and students in all these fields.
Sponsors
This year, the course is organized as a preconference Summer School to
BRAIN07 and BRAINPET07, under the auspices of the International Society
for Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. The course is also supported by
the following organizations .- Japan Cardiovascular Research Foundation
(http://www.jcvrf.jp/)
- Kobe Convention and Visitors Association
(http://www.kcva.or.jp/convention/index.html)
- Tsutomu Nakauchi Foundation
(http://www.koueki.jp/disclosure/na/nakauchi_tsutomu/)
- Japan Isotope Association
(http://www.jrias.or.jp)
Matlab licenses were provided for this course from Cybernet Systems Co Ltd .
(http://www.cybernet.co.jp/matlab/)
| The course is also supported by followinig private companies. | |
 |
Molecular Imaging Laboratory |
| http://www.mi-labo.com/index.html | |
|
Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation |
| http://www.toshiba-medical.co.jp/tmd/english/index.html | |
|
GE Yokogawa Medical System |
| http://www.gehealthcare.co.jp/company/info/gaiyo.html | |
|
Nihon Medi Phyysics Co. Ltd |
| http://www.nmp.co.jp/eng/about/index.html | |
