Development of diode-based row-column multiplexing boards with the TOFPET2 ASIC for clinical TOF-PET systems

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Nuclear Physics

Background:

• Multiplexing techniques are crucial for reducing costs and complexity in clinical time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET).
• A key challenge in multiplexing is preserving coincidence timing resolution (CTR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop diode-based row-column (RC) summing multiplexing boards to minimize CTR degradation in TOF-PET.
• To evaluate the performance of these boards using different diode models and a resistor.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fast-LGSO crystals and an 8x8 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array.
• Employed RC summing multiplexing circuits for SiPM signal processing.
• Evaluated detector performance using a TOFPET2 ASIC evaluation kit and three diode models.

Main Results:

• Diode-based multiplexing resulted in an 8.0% CTR degradation, significantly less than the 19.4% degradation from resistor-based multiplexing.
• Achieved an average CTR of 326 ± 8 ps with optimal diode-based multiplexing boards.
• Identified an optimal diode model balancing CTR and cost.

Conclusions:

• Developed diode-based RC summing multiplexing boards effectively minimize CTR degradation.
• These boards present a cost-effective approach for advancing clinical TOF-PET systems.
• The findings support the integration of this technology for improved TOF-PET performance and accessibility.