Talk given at the transatlantic science week, innovation frontiers, University of California, Berkeley, October 2011. The talk describes how space technology can be used in Medicine.

1. From Gamma ray
imaging in space to
medical diagnostics
Transatlantic Science Week 2011
U. C. Berkeley
October 25 2011
Gunnar Maehlum
Gamma Medica-Ideas (Norway) as
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 1

2. Gamma ray observations in space,
rays with extraterrestrial origins
 Makes it possible to
study the most exotic
objects such as solar
flares, supernovae, neu
tron stars, black holes
and active galaxies.
 One observatory now
active in orbit is the
NASA SWIFT satellite.
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 2

3. Our contribution to SWIFT
 SWIFT detects and observes
gamma ray bursts from. The
most energetic events
observed in the universe
 We were asked by NASA to
design and provide the
readout integrated circuit of
the Burst alert Telescope on
SWIFT.
 This circuit is a predecessor
of the circuits used in our
medical gamma cameras.
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 3

4. Gamma ray observations in space,
rays with terrestrial origin
 Obsevations have shown
high energy photons
emitted from above
thunderstorms in the
earths atmosphere.
 This is the subject of
study by The Atmosphere
Space Interaction
Monitor, ASIM that will be
installed on the
International Space
Station
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 4

5. Our contribution to ASIM
 The readout integrated
circuit of the spectroscopic
gamma camera of ASIM.
 The University of Bergen is
building the electronics for
this instrument using this
Integrated circuit
 These circuits have later
found an application in our
Molecular Breast Imaging
camera, the LumaGEM
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 5

6. Gamma rays in medicine
 Treatment
 Halting growth of cancer tissue by destroying the cancer
cells.
 Diagnostics
 Used to monitor life processes by observing metabolic
activity using radioactive trace elements.
 Tracers can be made by adding radioactivity to i.e.
sugars.
 These are injected and will accumulate at locations of
high metabolism such as the brain, heart and tumours.
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 6

7. Gamma versus x-rays
 Observe the process of life
CT of the mummy of Queen
Hatseput, 1508 – 1458BC
Image Discovery Channel/Siemens
PET/CT of the brain of a living person
Image: Wikipedia.org
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 7

8. Multi-modality imaging
Weather radar image of cloud
cover overlaid a static
topographic map
To increase the dimension we
could add i.e. Barometric and
temperature information
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 8

9. Multi-modality Imaging
Positron Emission
Tomograph gamma ray
image fused with
tomographic X-ray image
X-ray image: topographic
map
Gamma ray image:
Processes of life.
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 9

10. An example of a medical gamma
camera
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 10

11. Common requirements for space and
medicine
 Spectroscopic detection of the gamma rays.
 Very high reliability
 stable performance over time
 Compact size and small mass
 Low power consumption.
 An acceptable cost.
 Etc.
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 11

12. Our product is thus
 A dedicated camera for Molecular Breast Imaging.
 By using the compact high precision detectors and
integrated circuits it is possible to make a camera with
superior performance in a small package
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 12

13. Molecular Breast Imaging
 Breast cancer is the second most common cancer after
skin cancer in women in the USA
 Estimated new cases and deaths from breast cancer in
the United States in 2011(National Cancer Institute):
 New cases: 230,480 (female); 2,140 (male)
 Deaths: 39,520 (female); 450 (male)
 Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) is a new technology used
for breast imaging. MBI identifies tumors in dense breast
tissue that are often not visible with X-ray based analog
or digital mammography.
 Works by injecting gamma emitting Tc99m and imaging
gamma rays from possible tumors
 Gamma Medica-Ideas and General Electric are now
offering cameras to the medical commuty both based on
similar technologies.
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 13

14. Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI)
High resolution functional imaging of the breast
20 mm cancer
seen on MMG &
MBI
Additional 10 mm
cancer seen only
on MBI
Mammogram Molecular Breast Imaging
Gamma Medica-Ideas Images Courtesy of Dr. Michael 15
O’Connor. Mayo Clinic, Rochester USA

15. Astrophysics and MBI
 MBI uses the same
technology that originally
was developed for gamma
ray observations in
space, SWIFT.
 The LumaGEM camera
uses identical integrated We are now working on the next
circuits as those used in generation space observatories
the ASIM gamma with ESA and JAXA.
We expect some of the
spectrometer developments there also to benefir
our medical products in the future
Gamma Medica-Ideas Transatlantic Science Week October 2011 University of California, Berkeley 16

16. Conclusions
 The search for the most violent events in the universe
has lead to the development of the most sensitive
gamma ray detectors.
 Due to their superior performance they are now being
introduced into medical diagnostic equipment.
 The intended outcome is more precise diagnoses of
potentially fatal diseases
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17. Thank You
This composite image shows the
galaxy cluster 1E 0657-56, also
known as the "bullet cluster." This
cluster was formed after the collision
of two large clusters of galaxies, the
most energetic event known in the
universe since the Big Bang.
Image: NASA