High‐resolution TOF‐DOI PET detectors through the implementation of dual‐ended readout with SiPM arrays of different pixel sizes on the two ends

作者：Zheng Liu, Samuel Mungai, Zhonghua Kuang, Ning Ren, Siwei Xie, Qiyu Peng, Crispin Williams, Yongfeng Yang · 发表于：Medical Physics · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1002/mp.17544 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Radiation Detection and Scintillator Technologies、Medical Imaging Techniques and Applications、Advanced Semiconductor Detectors and Materials

Abstract Background An organ‐specific Positron emission tomography (PET) scanner can achieve the same sensitivity with much fewer detectors as compared to a whole‐body PET scanner, thereby substantially reducing the system cost. It can also achieve much better spatial resolution as compared to a whole‐body PET scanner since the photon noncollinearity effect is reduced by using smaller detector ring diameter. Consequently, the development of organ‐specific PET scanners with high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, and low cost has been a major focus of international research in PET instrument development for many years. Purpose The focus of this work is to develop high‐resolution depth encoding PET detectors with high timing resolution and a reduced number of signal processing electronic channels. Consequently, PET scanners tailored for specific organs can be developed with high spatial and timing resolutions, enhanced sensitivity, and affordable cost. Methods An 8 × 8 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array with a pixel size of 3 × 3 mm 2 and a multiplexed signal readout circuit is coupled to one end of the lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) array with a glass light guide between them to achieve a good crystal identification of small crystals by using only four position‐encoding energy signals. A 4 × 4 SiPM array with a pixel size of 6 × 6 mm 2 and an individual readout circuit is coupled to the other end of the crystal array without a light guide to achieve a good coincide...