Experimental evaluation of Compton-enhanced PET imaging with 3-D CZT imaging sensors

We constructed a prototype positron emission tomography (PET) system and experimentally evaluated large-volume 3-D cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors for potential use in Compton-enhanced PET imaging. The CZT spectrometer offers sub-0.5 mm spatial resolution, an ultrahigh energy resolution (~1% @ 511 keV) and the capability of detecting multiple gamma-ray interactions that simultaneously occurred. The system consists of four CZT detector panels with a detection area of around 4.4 cm × 4.4 cm. The distance between the front surfaces of the two opposite CZT detector panels is about 80 mm. This system allows us to detect coincident annihilation photons and Compton interactions inside the detectors and then to exploit Compton kinematics to predict the first Compton interaction site and reject chance coincidences. We have developed a numerical integration technique to model the near-field Compton response that incorporates Doppler broadening, the influence of the detector’s finite energy and spatial resolutions, and the distance between the first and second interactions. This method was used to process the experimentally acquired Compton events and to effectively reject random and scattered coincidence events. In the preliminary imaging studies, we have used point-sources, line-sources, and a custom-designed resolution phantom to demonstrate an imaging resolution of approximately 0.75 mm in PET images.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nuclear, Plasma, Radiolgc Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Jin, Yifei

Contributors dc:contributor

• Meng, Ling-jian
• Fulvio, Angela Di

• CZT sensor
• PET imaging
• Compton scattering

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Yifei Jin

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115670

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F115670