State-of-the-art of PET, SPECT and CT for small animal imaging

During the last decade we have observed a growing interest in in-vivo imaging techniques for small animals. This is due to the necessity of studying biochemical processes at a molecular level for pharmacology, genetic, and pathology investigations. Among the various “molecular imaging” techniques Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) have represented a valuable approach in such field. On the shadow of the successful application of combined PET–CT scanners in the clinical environment, multi-modality techniques have been recently transferred to small animal scanners. This paper reports on some recent advances in small animal PET, SPECT and CT scanners. An overview of the near future perspectives is also presented.