A Time-Walk and Timing-Shift Correction Method for Dual-Ended Readout TOF-DOI PET Detectors

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Nuclear Physics
• Instrumentation

Background:

• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detectors face timing inaccuracies like time-walk and timing-shift.
• These issues stem from leading-edge discriminators and depth-of-interaction (DOI) effects in thick crystals.
• Accurate timing is crucial for high-resolution PET imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a combined correction method for time-walk and timing-shift in dual-ended readout PET detectors.
• To improve the coincidence time resolution (CTR) of PET systems.
• To enhance the overall performance and image quality of PET scanners.

Main Methods:

• A novel combined time-walk and timing-shift correction algorithm was proposed.
• Dual-ended readout PET detectors were constructed using silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays and LYSO crystals.
• The relationship between event energies and detected time differences was utilized for correction.
• An energy window (400-650 keV) was applied to select valid events.

Main Results:

• The proposed method effectively corrected for time-walk and timing-shift.
• Coincidence time resolution improved from 260.7 ± 1.0 ps to 229.4 ± 1.0 ps.
• The results demonstrate a significant enhancement in timing accuracy for the PET detectors.

Conclusions:

• The developed correction method is effective for dual-ended readout PET detectors.
• This technique offers a viable solution to improve timing resolution in PET imaging.
• The findings contribute to the advancement of high-performance PET scanner technology.