Novel Ceramic Scintillators for PET

Scintillation detectors, consisting of inorganic scintillation crystals coupled to photomultipliers, are an important element of medical imaging applications, such as positron emission tomography (PET). However, the performance, as well as the cost, of these systems is limited by the properties of presently available scintillation detectors. This project will investigate a new class of scintillation materials that can be fabricated using a low cost fabrication approach. The new materials are expected to provide higher performance and lower cost compared to existing scintillators used in PET. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of producing high performance scintillators using a low cost fabrication approach. Samples of these scintillators will be produced, and their performance will be evaluated. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Over and above the use in medical imaging, the new scintillators will be commercially applicable to NDE, bore hole logging, industrial CT imaging, X-ray instrumentation, and materials analysis. They also will be useful in particle and space physics experiments.