0000000000073857
AUTHOR
Gabriela Llosa
Beam study of irradiated ATLAS-SCT prototypes
Abstract Prototypes of ATLAS-SCT modules with ABCD readout chips were tested in a 4 GeV/c pion beam at KEK's proton synchrotron. Of both SCT module geometries—barrel and forward—three identical modules were placed in the beam. One module of each type had been irradiated to 3×1014 protons/cm2 in the CERN PS previous to the beam test. A method has been developed to reconstruct the time-resolved shaper pulse from the binary hit information, allowing a more detailed study of the timing properties of the ABCD. The present results will be compared to a simulation of the charge collection and Front End electronics response.
New Trends in Detectors for Medical Imaging
The improvement of medical imaging instrumentation is based both on the enhancement of the performance of the detectors employed in their construction and on the development of novel techniques and methods that allow full exploitation of the advantages of the new instrumentation.
High performance detector head for PET and PET/MR with continuous crystals and SiPMs
International audience; A high resolution PET detector head for small animal PET applications has been developed. The detector is composed of a 12 mm x 12 mm source continuous LYSO crystal coupled to a 64-channel monolithic SiPM matrix from FBK-irst. Crystal thicknesses of 5 mm and 10 mm have been tested, both yielding an intrinsic spatial resolution around 0.7 mm FWHM with a position determination algorithm that can also provide depth-of-interaction information. The detectors have been tested in a rotating system that makes it possible to acquire tomographic data and reconstruct images of 22Na sources. An image reconstruction method specifically adapted for continuous crystals has been emp…
A prototype of very high resolution small animal PET scanner using silicon pad detectors
Abstract A very high-resolution small animal positron emission tomograph (PET), which can achieve sub-millimeter spatial resolution, is being developed using silicon pad detectors. The prototype PET for a single slice instrument consists of two 1 mm thick silicon pad detectors, each containing a 32×16 array of 1.4×1.4 mm pads readout with four VATAGP3 chips which have 128 channels low-noise self-triggering ASIC in each chip, coincidence units, a source turntable and tungsten slice collimator. The silicon detectors were located edgewise on opposite sides of a 4 cm field-of-view to maximize efficiency. Energy resolution is dominated by electronic noise, which is 0.98% (1.38 keV) FWHM at 140.5…
Development of silicon pad detectors and readout electronics for a Compton camera
Abstract Applications in nuclear medicine and bio-medical engineering may profit using a Compton camera for imaging distributions of radio-isotope labelled tracers in organs and tissues. These applications require detection of photons using thick position-sensitive silicon sensors with the highest possible energy and good spatial resolution. In this paper, research and development on silicon pad sensors and associated readout electronics for a Compton camera are presented. First results with low-noise, self-triggering VATAGP ASIC's are reported. The measured energy resolution was 1.1 keV FWHM at room temperature for the 241 Am photo-peak at 59.5 keV .
A Pixelated Silicon Positron Sensitive Imaging Probe
A pixelated silicon positron sensitive imaging probe is under development to precisely localize superficially located tumors accumulating 18F-FDG. 18F-FDG has been a radioisotope of interest mainly because of the high uptake in tumors and the relatively short positron range. Silicon detectors have generally low detection efficiency for high energy photons and can be used for positron detection. We present a pixelated silicon positron sensitive imaging probe that has the 1.4-by-1.4-by-1.0 mm pixel size with equivalent electronic noise of ~1.2 keV FWHM. The small pixel size leads to the high spatial resolution. Probe movement in conjunction with appropriate reconstruction will allow sub-pixel…
First coincidences in pre-clinical Compton camera prototype for medical imaging
Abstract Compton collimated imaging may improve the detection of gamma rays emitted by radioisotopes used in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We present a crude prototype consisting of a single 500 μm thick, 256 pad silicon detector with pad size of 1.4×1.4 mm 2 , combined with a 15×15×1 cm 3 NaI scintillator crystal coupled to a set of 20 photo multipliers. Emphasis is placed on the performance of the silicon detector and the associated read-out electronics, which has so far proved to be the most challenging part of the set-up. Results were obtained using the VATAGP3, 128 channel low-noise self-triggering ASIC as the silicon detector's front-end. The noise distribution (…
First Compton telescope prototype based on continuous LaBr3-SiPM detectors
Abstract A first prototype of a Compton camera based on continuous scintillator crystals coupled to silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays has been successfully developed and operated. The prototype is made of two detector planes. The first detector is made of a continuous 16×18×5 mm 3 LaBr 3 crystal coupled to a 16-elements SiPM array. The elements have a size of 3×3 mm 3 in a 4.5×4.05 mm 2 pitch. The second detector, selected by availability, consists of a continuous 16×18×5 mm 3 LYSO crystal coupled to a similar SiPM array. The SPIROC1 ASIC is employed in the readout electronics. Data have been taken with a 22 Na source placed at different positions and images have been reconstructed with…
Performance evaluation of a very high resolution small animal PET imager using silicon scatter detectors
A very high resolution positron emission tomography (PET) scanner for small animal imaging based on the idea of inserting a ring of high-granularity solid-state detectors into a conventional PET scanner is under investigation. A particularly interesting configuration of this concept, which takes the form of a degenerate Compton camera, is shown capable of providing sub-millimeter resolution with good sensitivity. We present a Compton PET system and estimate its performance using a proof-of-concept prototype. A prototype single-slice imaging instrument was constructed with two silicon detectors 1 mm thick, each having 512 1.4 mm x 1.4 mm pads arranged in a 32 x 16 array. The silicon detector…
High resolution detectors based on continuous crystals and SiPMs for small animal PET
International audience; Sensitivity and spatial resolution are the two main factors to maximize in emission imaging. The improvement of one factor deteriorates the other with pixelated crystals. In this work we combine SiPM matrices with monolithic crystals, using an accurate γ-ray interaction position determination algorithm that provides depth of interaction. Continuous crystals provide higher sensitivity than pixelated crystals, while an accurate interaction position determination does not degrade the spatial resolution. Monte Carlo simulations and experimental data show good agreement both demonstrating sub-millimetre intrinsic spatial resolution. A system consisting in two rotating det…
Detector characterization and first coincidence tests of a Compton telescope based on LaBr3 crystals and SiPMs
International audience; A Compton telescope for dose monitoring in hadron therapy consisting of several layers of continuous LaBr3 crystals coupled to silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays is under development within the ENVISION project. In order to test the possibility of employing such detectors for the telescope, a detector head consisting of a continuous 16 mm×18 mm×5 mm LaBr3 crystal coupled to a SiPM array has been assembled and characterized, employing the SPIROC1 ASIC as readout electronics. The best energy resolution obtained at 511 keV is 6.5% FWHM and the timing resolution is 3.1 ns FWHM. A position determination method for continuous crystals is being tested, with promising res…