Performance limits of PET-detectors increasingly shifting
14 May 2012 by M&C Applied SciencesReliable imaging with time-of-flight PET requires a very high time resolution from detectors. In a study, Stefan Seifert, Herman van Dam and Dennis Schaart have determined the theoretical limit of this resolution, which will contribute to speeding up the development of improved PET detectors. This publication was selected as the Editor’s Choice by Physics in Medicine and Biology and has already been downloaded more than 250 times* in a month.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is an important imaging technique, primarily used for identifying tumours, neurological conditions and cardiovascular diseases. During a PET scan, a biologically active molecule, in which one of the atoms is a radioactive isotope, is administered to the patient. These molecules accumulate in tissues with a specific biological function, for example a tumour.
PET images can be significantly improved through the use of better detectors. But where do the limits lie for what is theoretically possible? To answer this question, Stefan Seifert, Herman van Dam and Dennis Schaart calculated the lower time resolution limits for scintillation detectors.
* Of all IOPscience articles in the previous quarter, only around 10% have been downloaded more than 250 times. The article mentioned reached that number in just one month.
Graphic representation of a PET scanner, made up of cylindrical detectors. Detectors facing each other detect pairs of gamma photons produced by the annihilation process.
