Estimation of position resolution for DOI-PET detector using φ 0.2 mm WLS fibers

Abstract

We have been developing a submillimeter resolution and low-cost DOI-PET detector using wavelength shifting fibers (WLSF), scintillating crystal plates and MPPCs (Hamamatsu Photonics). Conventional design of DOI-PET detectors had approximately mm3 of resolution by using some scintillating blocks with a volume of 1 mm3, which detects gamma-ray. They are expensive due to difficulties in processing scintillating crystals and a large number of photo-detectors, and these technologies are likely to reach the limit of the resolution. Development of a lower cost DOI-PET detector with higher resolution is challenging to popularize the PET diagnosis. We propose two type of PET detector. One is a whole body PET system, and the other is a pet system for brain or small animals. Each PET system consists 6 blocks. The former consists of 6 layers of crystal plates with 300 mm × 300 mm × 4 mm. The latter consists of 16 crystal layers, forming 4 × 4 crystal arrays. The size of the crystal plate is 40 mm × 40 mm × 1 mm. Wavelength shifting fiber (WLSF) sheets are attatched to above and up and down side of crystal planes. The whole PET system has 8 MPPCs attached on each side. For the brain PET detector, 9 WLSF fibers are attached on the each side. The expected position resolution would be less than 1 mm at the former system. We have performed an experimental performance estimation for the system component using 22Na radioactive source. We achieved a collection efficiency of 10% using the WLSF sheet and Ce:Gd3(Al, Ga)5O12 (GAGG) crystals at 511 keV. The linear relationship between reconstruction position and incident position was obtained, and a resolution of 0.7 mm (FWHM) for x-axis of DOI by the WLSF readout was achieved.