Faster, clearer SPECT scans to guide radiopharmaceutical cancer treatment
Official title: Torch Recon: An Innovative Reconstruction Software for Increased Throughput and Improved Low-Count Quantitative SPECT Imaging
Funded at Voximetry, INC. · NIH-11194975 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds software that makes SPECT scans faster and clearer for people getting radiopharmaceutical cancer therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Voximetry, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $985,549 |
| NIH project number | 5R44CA291564-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194975 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people receiving radiopharmaceutical (radioisotope) cancer treatments who have SPECT imaging for dose calculation or response monitoring.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving radiopharmaceutical therapy or those who do not get SPECT scans are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team is creating software that rebuilds SPECT images using detailed physics simulations together with artificial intelligence to reduce noise and remove artifacts. The goal is to improve image quality especially when the scans have low signal, such as with certain radio‑therapies, and to speed up processing so results are available sooner. Better images could help doctors measure how much radiation organs and tumors receive and make more personalized treatment choices. The company will develop the algorithms and test them using simulated and clinical imaging data before broader clinical use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the software could give clinicians clearer and faster SPECT images to better tailor radiopharmaceutical doses and track treatment response.
How similar studies have gone: Related research shows that both Monte Carlo physics modeling and AI can improve imaging, but combining them for clinical low‑count SPECT imaging is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Voximetry, INC.
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wickre, Paul — Voximetry, INC.
- Study coordinator: Wickre, Paul
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.