Comparing Pixelated and Slat-Based Monolithic Tapered MicroPET Scanners in Single-Layer and Phoswich Configurations

Abstract

As technology advances, there is a growing demand for enhancing the performance of small animal PET scanners. In pursuit of this objective, innovative designs, including tapered pixelated and pseudo-monolithic configurations, have been introduced. This research explores and compares tapered pixelated microPET systems and tapered pseudo-monolithic systems, both in single-layer and phoswich configurations. The pseudo-monolithic detectors were simulated with different slat sizes and orientations, along y and z direction. The focus was on critical parameters, including sensitivity, noise equivalent count rate, scatter fraction, and energy resolution, to assess these systems. The findings emphasize the advantages of phoswich systems in respect to their single-layer counterparts. For pseudo-monolithic systems, while the configuration with slats oriented in the z-direction demonstrate substantial improvements in system performance, the alternative pseudo-monolithic design with slats oriented in the y-direction yielded lower performance, indicating that the orientation of slats in pseudo-monolithic scanners can notably impact system performance.