Perspectives for positron emission tomography with RPCs

Abstract

In this study, we address the feasibility and main properties of a positron emission tomograph (PET) based on RPCs. The concept, making use of the converter-plate principle, takes advantage of the intrinsic layered structure of RPCs and its simple and economic construction. The extremely good time and position resolutions of RPCs also allow the TOF-PET imaging technique to be considered.Monte-Carlo simulations, supported by experimental data, are presented and the main advantages and drawbacks for applications of potential interest are discussed. r

Detectors for medical radioisotope imaging: demands and perspectives

“…Despite the dominant use of crystals in PET scanners and in view of their limitations, other detector technologies are being developed, as for instance various types of gas detectors, which have the drawback of low efficiency but are intrinsically homogeneous, can achieve excellent position resolution and can provide DOI information (or are even free of parallax error), at low price (Parker et al, 2002;Blanco et al, 2003). An additional advantage of the system described in Blanco et al (2003) is that, owing to an extremely good time resolution, the g-ray time-of-flight can be used for the reconstruction.…”

“…An additional advantage of the system described in Blanco et al (2003) is that, owing to an extremely good time resolution, the g-ray time-of-flight can be used for the reconstruction.…”

Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography with Resistive Plate Chamber Detectors: An Unlikely but Promising Approach

“…The resistive plate chamber (RPC) time-of-ight (TOF) positron emission tomography (PET) concept [1] is based on the converter plate principle [2], depicted in Fig. 1.…”

“…Simple and economic construction, even for large area covering, good timing resolution of 300 ps full width at half maximum (FWHM) for 511 keV photon pairs [1], excellent position accuracy of 38 µm [3], and the capability to resolve the depth-of-interaction (DOI) [4], make RPC detectors an alternative for developing PET scanners with a large axial eld-of-view (AFOV) almost free of parallax errors and with TOF capability. As the major disadvantage when compared to inorganic crystal scintillation detectors, one can point out the lack of energy resolution.…”

“…As the major disadvantage when compared to inorganic crystal scintillation detectors, one can point out the lack of energy resolution. However, for the detection of photons, RPCs present an energy sensitivity [5,6], which, for PET applications, is equivalent to an energy discrimination threshold of 300 keV in terms of rejection of coincidences involving scattered photons [1].…”