Monte Carlo assessment of time-of-flight benefits on the LYSO-based discovery RX PET/CT scanner

P. Geramifar, M. R. Ay, M. Shamsaei Zafarghandi, G. Loudos, A. Rahmim

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Time-Of-Flight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) was studied and preliminarily developed in the 80s, but the lack of a scintillator able to deliver proper time resolution and stopping power at the same time had prevented it becoming viable technique. Today newly discovered scintillators with greater light yield and/or stopping power, along with advances in photomultiplier tubes and electronics, are rekindling interest in TOF. In this study we performed Monte Carlo simulation using GATE to explore what gains in PET performance could be achieved if the timing resolution in the LYSO-based PET component of Discovery RX PET/CT scanner were improved. For this investigation, count rate performance in different activity concentrations was simulated for different coincidence timing windows and temporal resolutions. Strong evidence of the simulation accuracy was found in the good agreement between measured and simulated data. The results show that the random event rate can be reduced by using a narrower coincidence timing window with increasing the peak NECR by 50%. However, utilization of TOF information improves NECR proportionally with the dramatical reduction of random coincidences as a function of timing resolution. As the TOF performance potential improvements are substantial and the fast electronics and newly scintillators gives us the means to obtain them without other sacrifices, efforts to improve PET timing should resume after their long dormancy.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2008 5th IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging
Subtitle of host publicationFrom Nano to Macro, Proceedings, ISBI
Pages364-367
Number of pages4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
Event2008 5th IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging: From Nano to Macro, ISBI - Paris, France
Duration: May 14 2008May 17 2008

Publication series

Name2008 5th IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging: From Nano to Macro, Proceedings, ISBI

Other

Other2008 5th IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging: From Nano to Macro, ISBI
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityParis
Period5/14/085/17/08

Keywords

  • GATE
  • Positron emission tomography (PET)
  • Time of flight (TOF)
  • Timing resolution

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biomedical Engineering

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