Nuclear medical imaging (NMI) is the branch of nuclear medicine aimed at imaging the in-vivo distribution of specific compounds labeled with radioactive elements (radiotracers) inside animals (preclinical applications) or patients (clinical applications). These compounds are developed to follow metabolic pathways or for binding to receptor systems of interest and are administered to the imaged subject to obtain diagnostic information, such as the functionality of certain organs or the presence of tissues with altered metabolism, e.g. tumors or inflamed tissues. The estimation of the radiotracer distribution is obtained by externally detecting the radiations emitted by the radioactive element attached to the tracer...@en

Recently, a monolithic scintillator detector for time-of-flight (TOF)/depth-of-interaction (DOI) positron emission tomography (PET) was developed. It has a detector spatial resolution of ∼1.7 mm full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM), a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of ∼215 ps FWHM, and ∼4.7 mm FWHM DOI resolution. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, the imaging performance of this detector in a 70 cm diameter PET geometry. We built a tomographic setup representative of a whole-body clinical scanner, comprising two coaxially rotating arms, each carrying a detector module, and a central, rotating phantom table. The fully automated setup sequentially acquires all possible lines of response (LORs) of a complete detector ring, using a step-and-shoot acquisition approach. The modules contained 2 × 2 detectors, each detector consisting of a 32 mm × 32 mm × 22 mm LYSO crystal and a digital silicon photomultiplier (dSiPM) array. The system spatial resolution was assessed using a Na-22 point source at different radial distances in the field-of-view (FOV). Using 2D filtered back projection (2D FBP, non-TOF), tangential and radial spatial resolutions of ∼2.9 mm FWHM were obtained at the center of the FOV. The use of DOI information resulted in almost uniform spatial resolution throughout the FOV up to a radial distance of 25 cm, where the radial and tangential resolution are ∼3.3 mm FWHM and ∼4.7 mm FWHM, respectively, whereas without DOI the resolution deteriorates to ∼9 mm FWHM. Additional measurements were performed with a Na-22 filled Derenzo-like phantom at different locations within the FOV. Images reconstructed with a TOF maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization (TOF ML-EM) algorithm show that the system is able to clearly resolve 3 mm diameter hot rods up to 25 cm radial distance. The excellent and uniform spatial resolution, combined with an energy resolution of 10.2% FWHM and a CRT of ∼212 ps FWHM, indicates a great potential for monolithic scintillators as practical high-performance detectors in TOF/DOI-PET systems.

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We have recently built and characterized the performance of a monolithic scintillator detector based on a 32 mm × 32 mm × 22 mm LYSO:Ce crystal read out by digital silicon photomultiplier (dSiPM) arrays coupled to the crystal front and back surfaces in a dual-sided readout (DSR) configuration. The detector spatial resolution appeared to be markedly better than that of a detector consisting of the same crystal with conventional back-sided readout (BSR). Here, we aim to evaluate the influence of this difference in the detector spatial response on the quality of reconstructed images, so as to quantify the potential benefit of the DSR approach for high-resolution, whole-body time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) applications. We perform Monte Carlo simulations of clinical PET systems based on BSR and DSR detectors, using the results of our detector characterization experiments to model the detector spatial responses. We subsequently quantify the improvement in image quality obtained with DSR compared to BSR, using clinically relevant metrics such as the contrast recovery coefficient (CRC) and the area under the localized receiver operating characteristic curve (ALROC). Finally, we compare the results with simulated rings of pixelated detectors with DOI capability. Our results show that the DSR detector produces significantly higher CRC and increased ALROC values than the BSR detector. The comparison with pixelated systems indicates that one would need to choose a crystal size of 3.2 mm with three DOI layers to match the performance of the BSR detector, while a pixel size of 1.3 mm with three DOI layers would be required to get on par with the DSR detector.

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The goal of this simulation study is the performance evaluation and comparison of six potential designs for a time-of-flight PET scanner for pediatric patients of up to about 12 years of age. It is designed to have a high sensitivity and provide high-contrast and high-resolution images. The simulated pediatric PET is a full ring scanner, consisting of 32 × 32 mm² monolithic LYSO:Ce crystals coupled to digital silicon photomultiplier arrays. The six considered designs differ in axial lengths (27.2 cm, 54.4 cm and 102 cm) and crystal thicknesses (22 mm and 11 mm). The simulations are based on measured detector response data. We study two possible detector arrangements: 22 mm-thick crystals with dual-sided readout and 11 mm-thick crystals with back-sided readout. The six designs are simulated by means of the GEANT4 application for tomographic emission software, using the measured spatial, energy and time response of the monolithic scintillator detectors as input. The performance of the six designs is compared on the basis of four studies: (1) spatial resolution; (2) NEMA NU2-2012 sensitivity and scatter fraction (SF) tests; (3) non-prewhitening signal-to-noise ratio observer study; and (4) receiver operating characteristics analysis. Based on the results, two designs are identified as cost-effective solutions for fast and efficient imaging of children: one with 54.4 cm axial field-of-view (FOV) and 22 mm-thick crystals, and another one with 102 cm axial FOV and 11 cm-thick crystals. The first one has a higher center point sensitivity than the second one, but requires dual-sided readout. The second design has the advantage of allowing a whole-body scan in a single bed position acquisition. Both designs have the potential to provide an excellent spatial resolution (∼2 mm) and an ultra-high sensitivity (>100 cps ).

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New applications for positron emission tomography (PET) and combined PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are currently emerging, for example in the fields of neurological, breast, and pediatric imaging. Such applications require improved image quality, reduced dose, shorter scanning times, and more precise quantification. This can be achieved by means of dedicated scanners based on ultrahigh-performance detectors, which should provide excellent spatial resolution, precise depth-of-interaction (DOI) estimation, outstanding time-of-flight (TOF) capability, and high detection efficiency. Here, we introduce such an ultrahigh-performance TOF/DOI PET detector, based on a 32 mm × 32 mm × 22 mm monolithic LYSO:Ce crystal. The 32 mm × 32 mm front and back faces of the crystal are coupled to a digital photon counter (DPC) array, in so-called dual-sided readout (DSR) configuration. The fully digital detector offers a spatial resolution of ∼1.1 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM)/∼1.2 mm mean absolute error, together with a DOI resolution of ∼2.4 mm FWHM, an energy resolution of 10.2% FWHM, and a coincidence resolving time of 147 ps FWHM. The time resolution closely approaches the best results (135 ps FWHM) obtained to date with small crystals made from the same material coupled to the same DPC arrays, illustrating the excellent correction for optical and electronic transit time spreads that can be achieved in monolithic scintillators using maximum-likelihood techniques for estimating the time of interaction. The performance barely degrades for events with missing data (up to 6 out of 32 DPC dies missing), permitting the use of almost all events registered under realistic acquisition conditions. Moreover, the calibration procedures and computational methods used for position and time estimation follow recently made improvements that make them fast and practical, opening up realistic perspectives for using DSR monolithic scintillator detectors in TOF-PET and TOF-PET/MRI systems.

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Gamma-ray detectors based on thick monolithic scintillator crystals can achieve spatial resolutions <2 mm full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) and coincidence resolving times (CRTs) better than 200 ps FWHM. Moreover, they provide high sensitivity and depth-of-interaction (DOI) information. While these are excellent characteristics for clinical time-of-flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET), the application of monolithic scintillators has so far been hampered by the lengthy and complex procedures needed for position- and time-of-interaction estimation. Here, the algorithms previously developed in our group are revised to make the calibration and operation of a large number of monolithic scintillator detectors in a TOF-PET system practical. In particular, the k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification method for x,y-position estimation is accelerated with an algorithm that quickly preselects only the most useful reference events, reducing the computation time for position estimation by a factor of ∼200 compared to the previously published k-NN 1D method. Also, the procedures for estimating the DOI and time of interaction are revised to enable full detector calibration by means of fan-beam or flood irradiations only. Moreover, a new technique is presented to allow the use of events in which some of the photosensor pixel values and/or timestamps are missing (e.g. due to dead time), so as to further increase system sensitivity. The accelerated methods were tested on a monolithic scintillator detector specifically developed for clinical PET applications, consisting of a 32 mm × 32 mm × 22 mm LYSO : Ce crystal coupled to a digital photon counter (DPC) array. This resulted in a spatial resolution of 1.7 mm FWHM, an average DOI resolution of 3.7 mm FWHM, and a CRT of 214 ps. Moreover, the possibility of using events missing the information of up to 16 out of 64 photosensor pixels is shown. This results in only a small deterioration of the detector performance.

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