NEMA NU 2-2012 performance studies for the SiPM-based ToF-PET component of the GE SIGNA PET/MR system

Grant, Alexander M.; Deller, Timothy; Khalighi, Mohammad Mehdi; Maramraju, Sri Harsha; Delso, Gaspar; Levin, Craig S.

doi:10.1118/1.4945416

Cited by 220 publications

(194 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…This technology enables the design of fully integrated PET/MR systems that permit the simultaneous acquisition of PET and MR data within the same axial field-ofview (aka co-planar FOV). Today, two integrated systems are available commercially: the Siemens Biograph mMR [28] and the GE Signa PET/MR [30].…”

Section: Pet/mrmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…State-of-the-art PET systems achieve time resolutions of about 500 ps FWHM (using photo multiplier tubes) [19,29], down to about 300 ps FWHM (using SiPMs) [22,30], which corresponds to an uncertainty of determining the origin of the annihilation along the Line Of Response (LOR) of about 15 and 9 cm, respectively. With this additional information, the SNR in the reconstructed PET images can be improved significantly [92].…”

Section: Time-of-flight Petmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hybrid Imaging: Instrumentation and Data Processing

et al. 2018

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State-of-the-art patient management frequently requires the use of non-invasive imaging methods to assess the anatomy, function or molecular-biological conditions of patients or study subjects. Such imaging methods can be singular, providing either anatomical or molecular information, or they can be combined, thus, providing "anato-metabolic" information. Hybrid imaging denotes image acquisitions on systems that physically combine complementary imaging modalities for an improved diagnostic accuracy and confidence as well as for increased patient comfort. The physical combination of formerly independent imaging modalities was driven by leading innovators in the field of clinical research and benefited from technological advances that permitted the operation of PET and MR in close physical proximity, for example. This review covers milestones of the development of various hybrid imaging systems for use in clinical practice and small-animal research. Special attention is given to technological advances that helped the adoption of hybrid imaging, as well as to introducing methodological concepts that benefit from the availability of complementary anatomical and biological information, such as new types of image reconstruction and data correction schemes. The ultimate goal of hybrid imaging is to provide useful, complementary and quantitative information during patient work-up. Hybrid imaging also opens the door to multi-parametric assessment of diseases, which will help us better understand the causes of various diseases that currently contribute to a large fraction of healthcare costs.

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Section: Pet/mrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Time-of-flight Petmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hybrid Imaging: Instrumentation and Data Processing

et al. 2018

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“…Current state-of-the-art commercial PET systems have ~315–530 picoseconds (ps) full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) timing performance, constraining annihilation events to lie somewhere within a ~5–8 cm region along system detector response lines (LORs) [Jakoby et al 2011, Miller et al 2015, Grant et al 2016, Hsu et al 2017]. The reconstructed image SNR improvement this localization provides can be estimated according to the relationship between assumed patient diameter (D), the speed of light (c), and the CTR of system (dt) in Equation 1 [Conti 2008].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a clinical TOF-PET detector design that achieves ⩽100 ps coincidence time resolution

Cates

Levin

2018

Phys. Med. Biol.

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Commercially available clinical positron emission tomography (PET) detectors employ scintillation crystals that are long (≥20 mm length) and narrow (4–5 mm width) optically coupled on their narrow end to a photosensor. The aspect ratio of this traditional crystal rod configuration and 511 keV photon attenuation properties yield significant variances in scintillation light collection efficiency and transit time to the photodetector, due to variations in the 511 keV photon interaction depth in the crystal. These variances contribute significant to coincidence time resolution degradation. If instead, crystals are coupled to a photosensor on their long side, near-complete light collection efficiency can be achieved, and scintillation photon transit time jitter is reduced. In this work, we compare the achievable coincidence time resolution (CTR) of LGSO:Ce(0.025 mol%) crystals 3–20 mm in length when optically coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) on either their short end or long side face. In this “side readout” configuration, a CTR of 102±2 ps FWHM was measured with 2.9×.2.9×20 mm3 crystals coupled to rows of 3×3 mm2 SensL-J SiPMs using leading edge time pickoff and a single timing channel. This is in contrast to a CTR of 137±3 ps FWHM when the same crystals were coupled to single 3×3 mm2 SiPMs on their narrow ends. We further study the statistical limit on CTR using side readout via the Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB), with consideration given to ongoing work to further improve photosensor technologies and exploit fast phenomena to ultimately achieve 10 ps FWHM CTR. Potential design aspects of scalable front-end signal processing readout electronics using this side readout configuration are discussed. Altogether, we demonstrate that the side readout configuration offers an immediate solution for 100 ps CTR clinical PET detectors and mitigates factors prohibiting future efforts to achieve 10 ps FWHM CTR.

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“…Commercial vendors have recently developed whole-body clinical TOF-PET systems based on L(Y)SO:Ce crystals read out with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), which offer coincidence resolving times (CRT) between 325 ps FWHM and 400 ps FWHM (Miller et al 2015, Grant et al 2016, Miller 2016. Moreover, demonstrator systems equipped with clinical detectors have been built, achieving CRT between 200 ps FWHM and 250 ps FWHM (Schug et al 2015, Borghi et al 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

BGO as a hybrid scintillator / Cherenkov radiator for cost-effective time-of-flight PET

2017

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Due to detector developments in the last decade, the time-of-flight (TOF) method is now commonly used to improve the quality of positron emission tomography (PET) images. Clinical TOF-PET systems based on L(Y)SO:Ce crystals and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) with coincidence resolving times (CRT) between 325 ps and 400 ps FWHM have recently been developed. Before the introduction of L(Y)SO:Ce, BGO was used in many PET systems. In addition to a lower price, BGO offers a superior attenuation coefficient and a higher photoelectric fraction than L(Y)SO:Ce. However, BGO is generally considered an inferior TOF-PET scintillator. In recent years, TOF-PET detectors based on the Cherenkov effect have been proposed. However, the low Cherenkov photon yield in the order of ∼10 photons per event complicates energy discrimination-a severe disadvantage in clinical PET. The optical characteristics of BGO, in particular its high transparency down to 310 nm and its high refractive index of ∼2.15, are expected to make it a good Cherenkov radiator. Here, we study the feasibility of combining event timing based on Cherenkov emission with energy discrimination based on scintillation in BGO, as a potential approach towards a cost-effective TOF-PET detector. Rise time measurements were performed using a timecorrelated single photon counting (TCSPC) setup implemented on a digital photon counter (DPC) array, revealing a prompt luminescent component likely to be due to Cherenkov emission. Coincidence timing measurements were performed using BGO crystals with a cross-section of 3 mm × 3 mm and five different lengths between 3 mm and 20 mm, coupled to DPC arrays. NonGaussian coincidence spectra with a FWHM of 200 ps were obtained with the 27 mm 3 BGO cubes, while FWHM values as good as 330 ps were achieved Institute of Physics and Engineering in MedicineOriginal content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. with the 20 mm long crystals. The FWHM value was found to improve with decreasing temperature, while the FWTM value showed the opposite trend.

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NEMA NU 2-2012 performance studies for the SiPM-based ToF-PET component of the GE SIGNA PET/MR system

Abstract: Performance measurements of the ToF-PET whole body GE SIGNA PET/MR system indicate that it is a promising new simultaneous imaging platform.

Cited by 220 publications

References 37 publications

Hybrid Imaging: Instrumentation and Data Processing

Hybrid Imaging: Instrumentation and Data Processing

Evaluation of a clinical TOF-PET detector design that achieves ⩽100 ps coincidence time resolution

BGO as a hybrid scintillator / Cherenkov radiator for cost-effective time-of-flight PET

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