title: Count rate studies of a box-shaped PET breast imaging system comprised of position sensitive avalanche photodiodes utilizing monte carlo simulation.
abstract: We are investigating a high-sensitivity, high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) system for clinical use in the detection, diagnosis and staging of breast cancer. Using conventional figures of merit, design parameters were evaluated for count rate performance, module dead time, and construction complexity. The detector system modeled comprises extremely thin position-sensitive avalanche photodiodes coupled to lutetium oxy-orthosilicate scintillation crystals. Previous investigations of detector geometries with Monte Carlo indicated that one of the largest impacts on sensitivity is local scintillation crystal density when considering systems having the same average scintillation crystal densities (same crystal packing fraction and system solid-angle coverage). Our results show the system has very good scatter and randoms rejection at clinical activity ranges ( approximately 200 muCi).
authors.affiliation: Molecular Imaging Program, Radiology Department, Stanford University, Palo Alto (CA, USA); Molecular Imaging Program, Radiology Department, Stanford University, Palo Alto (CA, USA).
authors.forename: Angela M K
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Foudray
authors.forename: Frezghi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Habte
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chinn
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Craig S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Levin