Advanced Detectors for PET

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique with the potential to quantify the rates of biological processes in vivo. PET imaging can provide diagnosis for symptoms of diseases such as Alzheimer¿s disease, head trauma, cancer, and stroke. However, the performance of existing PET systems is limited by the properties of currently available detectors. This project will investigate a new solid state photodetector that appears to be very promising due to its high gain, fast response, and low noise. The new photodetector will be built and evaluated for PET. In Phase I, the proposed photodetector will be built and then coupled to scintillation crystals. The performance of detector modules will be evaluated, energy and timing resolution studies will be conducted, and the feasibility of applying the photodetector to PET imaging will be demonstrated. A bench-top PET scanner will be built in Phase II. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Over and above the use in nuclear medicine, the new detectors should be applicable to nuclear and high energy physics, space research, homeland security, oil exploration, and nuclear non-proliferation.