title: Performance evaluation of the 16-module quad-HIDAC small animal PET camera.
abstract: The quad-HIDAC small animal PET camera is a quadratic array of high-density avalanche chambers; the camera described in this publication consists of 16 modules. We present the system response using point and line sources and a mouse phantom. The quad-HIDAC camera exhibits a count rate stability of better than 1% and linearity of response to coincidences up to 2.2 x 10(5) cps at 16 MBq activity. Corrected for deadtime and random coincidences, the efficiency for the line source is 0.011, of which unscattered coincidences yield 0.009. The scatter fraction originating from the detectors is 0.22. Absorption within the mouse phantom was 20% and the scatter fraction increased to 0.29. Resolution is uniform within the entire field-of-view, which is 28 cm axially and 17 cm radially. Reconstruction of a point source yields a resolution of 1.1 mm FWHM for all three components. The performance of the camera demonstrates its excellent suitability for the functional imaging of small animals.
authors.affiliation: Biomolecular Research and Center for Radiopharmaceutical Science of PSI, ETH and USZ, Life Sciences Division, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland. john.missimer@psi.ch
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Missimer
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Madi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honer
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: August
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schubiger
authors.forename: Simon-Mensah
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ametamey
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors