The McMaster positron emission tomograph: Design and evaluation

Abstract

The McMaster positron emission tomograph is an instrument designed for the high resolution, cross sectional study of the human brain. The detector head comprises 160 bismuth germanate crystals, each coupled to a 12.7 mm photomultiplier tube, closely packed on a ring, 53.5 cm in diameter. The tomographic slices examined are either 10 or 20 mm thick. The spatial resolution is 8 mm (fwhm) in the stationary mode. The sensitivity is 16 000 cps/μCi/cc for a 10 mm slice. The instrument has been in clinical use for the past 18 months.