Novel Parallax Free Sensor for Molecular Imaging

With the ever-increasing number of human disease models, particularly in smaller animals, high resolution emission/transmission tomography techniques have become extremely important. The main barriers to using existing modalities in studies of laboratory animals have traditionally been poor spatial resolution, low sensitivity, and high cost. Although detector technologies have improved significantly in recent years, current state-of-the-art scintillator technology remains the primary performance limiting factor. To address these issues, this project will develop a novel scintillator that will be coupled to very high spatial resolution readout. The scintillator design and fabrication will minimize the loss of resolution arising from parallax errors (due to depth-of-interaction effects within the scintillator), while maintaining very high efficiency for the detection of incident radiation. This combination of scintillator and readout, when coupled to a custom designed collimator, will form a SPECT detector that can achieve extremely fine spatial resolution and high sensitivity in a cost-effective manner. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of the novel scintillators structure using specialized materials processing techniques. To achieve high spatial resolution, while maintaining high ¿-ray absorption efficiency, a focused array of very fine scintillator elements will be formed. The resulting structure will be thoroughly evaluated to determine its ability to provide sufficient resolution and sensitivity for molecular imaging. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: A detector with significantly improved resolution and sensitivity would be well suited for the imaging of radiolabeled antibodies and other substances that can be used to localize and characterize tumors in small animals. It also would contribute to the development of new radiolabeled agents for diagnosing and treating diseases in humans. In turn, the technology would enable the development of superior drugs and technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of certain cancers, diseases of the heart, and disorders of the circulatory system. Beyond medical imaging, the detector could have widespread applications in industrial radiography, nondestructive evaluations, homeland security, and other advanced imaging systems.