October 2025 - New AI Tool “PUMA” Enhances PET/CT Imaging with Multitracer Fusion

In a collaboration with UC Davis Lalith Sundar – a researcher based in Munich, Germany – has unveiled a powerful new imaging tool called PUMA (PET Unified Multitracer Alignment) that allows doctors and scientists to combine multiple PET/CT scans into a single, unified view. Traditionally, PET/CT imaging uses one tracer at a time, limiting how much information can be gathered about complex diseases. PUMA overcomes this by aligning scans from different tracers using advanced artificial intelligence and precise image registration. 

In a study involving 114 patients from multiple centers, PUMA achieved highly accurate organ alignment and preserved key imaging data, ensuring no loss of diagnostic quality. The tool can even visualize up to three tracers simultaneously using red–green–blue color channels. 

As an open-source framework, PUMA provides a vendor-independent way to enrich molecular imaging without changing existing clinical protocols – paving the way for more comprehensive disease characterization and improved treatment planning.