Calculation of the time resolution of the J-PET tomograph using kernel density estimation

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Nuclear Physics
• Instrumentation

Background:

• The J-PET scanner utilizes plastic scintillators for positron emission tomography.
• Accurate time resolution is crucial for improving image quality in PET scanners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the time resolution of the J-PET scanner.
• To develop and validate analytical formulae for time resolution using advanced signal processing techniques.

Main Methods:

• Signal processing incorporating Tikhonov regularization and kernel density estimation.
• Validation using data from a single detection unit of the J-PET tomograph.
• Comparison of experimental and theoretical results.

Main Results:

• Simple, closed-form analytical formulae for time resolution were derived.
• The proposed method demonstrated consistency between experimental and theoretical results for the J-PET scanner.
• The validation was performed on a 30 cm long plastic scintillator strip.

Conclusions:

• The developed analytical method accurately estimates the time resolution of the J-PET scanner.
• The findings support the use of plastic scintillators and advanced signal processing for PET systems.
• The consistency of results validates the proposed approach for time-of-flight PET imaging.