Calibration Methodology of an Edgeless PET System Prototype

Instrumentation research in small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging is driven by improving timing, spatial resolution and sensitivity. Conventional PET scanners are built of multiple detectors placed in a cylindrical geometry with gaps between them in both the transaxial and axial planes. These gaps decrease sensitivity and degrade spatial resolution towards the edges of the system field of view (FOV). To mitigate these problems, we have designed and validated an edgeless pre-clinical PET system based on a single LYSO annulus with an inner diameter of 62 mm and 10 outer facets of 26 × 52 mm² each. The scintillation light is read out using the row and columns of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) mounted in magnetic-field compatible PCBs. The objective of this work is to provide a calibration method for this system. The particular design of the annulus produces some undesirable effects in the light distributions (LD) at the module joints, which needs to be addressed. Nevertheless, after calibration, the system allows one to properly retrieve both, the energy and 3D photon impact positions.