Segmented SiPM Readout for Cherenkov Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography Detectors Based on Bismuth Germanate

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Instrumentation

Background:

• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) offers sensitive non-invasive imaging but requires high timing resolution for effective Time-of-Flight (TOF) measurements.
• Hybrid scintillation/Cherenkov materials promise improved timing but face challenges due to mixed photon detection and event-dependent timing spread.
• Traditional silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) coupled to crystals can limit timing precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the timing spread challenge in TOF PET using hybrid materials.
• To introduce an innovative method for classifying detection events based on temporal photon density.
• To enhance the precision of timing information in PET imaging.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing segmented silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) pixels coupled to individual crystals.
• Acquiring multiple timestamps and photon counts from segmented SiPMs.
• Analyzing temporal photon density to classify Cherenkov and scintillation photon events.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated effective classification of detection events using temporal photon density.
• Successfully mitigated the event-dependent timing spread caused by mixed photon detection.
• Showcased the potential of segmented SiPMs for improved TOF PET performance.

Conclusions:

• Segmented SiPMs offer a viable solution to enhance timing resolution in TOF PET.
• The temporal photon density analysis effectively distinguishes photon types for better event classification.
• This approach opens new avenues for applications demanding precise timing and photon counting in biomedical imaging.