Silicon detector for a Compton Camera in Nuclear Medical Imaging

Electronically collimated gamma ca\-me\-ras based on Com\-pton scattering in silicon pad sensors may improve imaging in nuclear medicine and bio-medical research. The work described here concentrates on the silicon pad detector developed for a prototype Compton camera. The silicon pad sensors are read out using low noise VLSI CMOS chips and novel fast triggering chips. Depending on the application a light weight and dense packaging of sensors and its readout electronics on a hybrid is required. We describe the silicon pad sensor and their readout with the newly designed hybrid. %The silicon detector of a Compton camera %may contain up to $10^5$~analogue channels requiring %a fast and low cost data acquisition system. We also describe a modular and low-cost data acquisition system (CCDAQ) based on a digital signal processor which is interfaced to the EPP port of personal computers. Using the CCDAQ and the hybrids energy spectra of gamma-ray photons from technetium ($^{\rm 99m}_{43}$Tc) and americium ($^{241}_{95}$Am) were acquired with an energy resolution of 2.45~keV FWHM for the 140.5~keV photo-absorption line of $^{\rm 99m}_{43}$Tc. For all pads the discrimination threshold in the trigger chip was between (15 and 25)~keV

Detecting small low emission radiating sources

The article addresses the possibility of robust detection of geometrically small, low emission sources on a significantly stronger background. This problem is important for homeland security. A technique of detecting such sources using Compton type cameras is developed, which is shown on numerical examples to have high sensitivity and specificity and also allows to assign confidence probabilities of the detection. 2D case is considered in detail

A prototype of very high-resolution small animal PET scanner using silicon pad detectors

Abstract A very high-resolution small animal positron emission tomograph (PET), which can achieve sub-millimeter spatial resolution, is being developed using silicon pad detectors. The prototype PET for a single slice instrument consists of two 1 mm thick silicon pad detectors, each containing a 32×16 array of 1.4×1.4 mm pads readout with four VATAGP3 chips which have 128 channels low-noise self-triggering ASIC in each chip, coincidence units, a source turntable and tungsten slice collimator. The silicon detectors were located edgewise on opposite sides of a 4 cm field-of-view to maximize efficiency. Energy resolution is dominated by electronic noise, which is 0.98% (1.38 keV) FWHM at 140.5 keV. Coincidence timing resolution is 82.1 ns FWHM and coincidence efficiency was measured to be 1.04×10−3% from two silicon detectors with annihilation photons of 18F source. Image data were acquired and reconstructed using conventional 2-D filtered-back projection (FBP) and a maximum likelihood expectation maximization (ML-EM) method. Image resolution of approximately 1.45 mm FWHM is obtained from 1-D profile of 1.1 mm diameter 18F line source image. Even better resolution can be obtained with smaller detector element sizes. While many challenges remain in scaling up the instrument to useful efficiency including densely packed detectors and significantly improved timing resolution, performance of the test setup in terms of easily achieving sub-millimeter resolution is compelling

First coincidences in pre-clinical compton camera prototype for medical imaging

LEPSICompton collimated imaging may improve the detection of gamma rays emitted by radioisotopes used in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We present a crude prototype consisting of a single 500 $\mu$m thick, 256 pad silicon detector with pad size of 1.4$\times$1.4 mm$^2$, combined with a 15$\times15\times$1 cm$^3$ NaI scintillator crystal coupled to a set of 20 photo multipliers. Emphasis is placed on the performance of the silicon detector and the associated read-out electronics, which has so far proved to be the most challenging part of the set-up. Results were obtained using the VATAGP3, 128 channel low-noise self-triggering ASIC as the silicon detector's front-end. The noise distribution ($\sigma$) of the spectroscopic outputs gave an equivalent noise charge (ENC) with a mean value of left angle =137 e with a spread of 10 e, corresponding to an energy resolution of 1.15 keV FWHM for the scattered electron energy. Threshold settings above 8.2 keV were required for stable operation of the trigger. Coincident Compton scatter events in both modules were observed for photons emitted by $^{57}$Co source with principal gamma ray energies of 122 and 136 keV

Demonstration of an Axial PET concept for brain and small animal imaging

Standard Positron Emission Tomography (PET) cameras need to reach a compromise between spatial resolution and sensitivity. To overcome this limitation we developed a novel concept of PET. Our AX-PET demonstrator is made of LYSO crystals aligned along the z coordinate (patient's axis) and WLS strips orthogonally placed with respect to the crystals. This concept offers full 3D localization of the photon interaction inside the camera. Thus the spatial resolution and the sensitivity can be simultaneously improved and the reconstruction of Compton interactions inside the detector is also possible. Moreover, by means of G-APDs for reading out the photons, both from LYSO and WLS, the detector is insensitive to magnetic fields and it is then suitable to be used in a combined PET/MRI apparatus. A complete Monte Carlo simulation and dedicated reconstruction software have been developed. The two final modules, each composed of 48 crystals and 156 WLS strips, have been built and fully characterized in a dedicated test set-up. The results, obtained with a (22)Na point source (0.25 mm diameter), of the single module performances and a first estimation of the performances with the two module system are reported. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Construction and tests of demonstrator modules for a 3-D axial PET system for brain or small animal imaging

The design and construction of a PET camera module with high sensitivity, full 3-D spatial reconstruction and very good energy resolution is presented. The basic principle consists of an axial arrangement of long scintillation crystals around the Field Of View (FOV), providing a measurement of the transverse coordinates of the interacting 511 keV gamma ray. On top of each layer of crystals, an array of Wave-Length Shifter (WLS) strips, which collect the light leaving the crystals sideways, is positioned orthogonal to the crystal direction. The signals in the WLS strips allow a precise measurement of the z (axial) co-ordinate of the 511 keV gamma-ray gamma impact. The construction of two modules used for demonstration of the concept is described. First preliminary results on spatial and energy resolution from one full module will be shown. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

AX-PET: Concept, proof of principle and first results with phantoms

AX-PET is a novel PET concept based on long crystals axially arranged and orthogonal Wavelength shifter (WLS) strips, both individually readout by Geiger-mode Avalanche Photo Diodes (G-APD). Its design was conceived in order to reduce the parallax error and simultaneously improve spatial resolution and sensitivity. The assessment of the AX-PET concept and potential was carried out through a set of measurements comprising individual module characterizations and scans in coincidence mode of point-like and extended sources. The estimated energy and spatial resolutions from point-like measurements are R FWHM11.6% (at 511 keV) and 1.7-1.9 mm (FWHM) respectively as measured with point-like sources placed in different positions of the FOV. First results from scans of extended phantoms confirmed our expectations. © 2010 IEEE

The AX-PET project: Demonstration of a high resolution axial 3D PET

The AX-PET is a new geometrical concept for a high resolution 3D PET scanner, based on matrices of axially oriented LYSO crystals interleaved by stacks of WLS, both individually read out by G-APDs. A PET demonstrator, based on two detector modules used in coincidence, is currently under construction. (C) 2009 Elsevier By. All rights reserved