A New Scintillator for Time-of-Flight PET

78035S Scintillation detectors, consisting of inorganic scintillation crystals coupled to PMTs, are an important element of medical imaging applications such as positron emission tomography (PET). Yet, the performance of these systems is limited by the properties of the currently available scintillation detectors. If faster scintillators were available, significant advancement in image quality could be achieved by reducing randoms and instituting time-of-flight. This project will investigate a new scintillator that is both fast and bright, and, as a result, promises excellent energy and timing resolution. Reduction in scatter and randoms should lead to significant improvement in image quality for time-of-flight PET. In Phase I, crystals of the new scintillator will be produced and their performance will be evaluated. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Over and above their use in medical imaging, the new scintillators should be commercially applicable to non-destructive evaluation, geological exploration, homeland security, and materials analysis. They also should be useful in nuclear, particle, and space physics experiments.