I. Torres-Espallardo

Use of single photon counting detector arrays in combined PET/MR: Characterization of LYSO-SiPM detector modules and comparison with a LSO-APD detector

We propose in this study a novel PET detector concept as insert for simultaneous PET/MR imaging, using arrays of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) as photodetectors, read out by a data acquisition system based on sampling ADCs. A 2 × 2 LSO-SiPM detector array and four single channel LYSO-SiPM detectors have been evaluated and compared to a LSO-APD detector. A 17.9% energy resolution and a 1.4 ns time resolution have been measured. No degradation of these values could be detected when simultaneous MR acquisitions were performed. The non-linear detector behaviour due to the limited dynamic range and recovery time effects has been studied. In addition, the contribution of dark counts and optical crosstalk for PET applications was also addressed. The feasibility for position localization of the incident light to a SiPM array using Anger logic has been investigated.

Effect of inter-crystal scatter on estimation methods for random coincidences and subsequent correction

Random coincidences can contribute substantially to the background in positron emission tomography (PET). Several estimation methods are being used for correcting them. The goal of this study was to investigate the validity of techniques for random coincidence estimation, with various low-energy thresholds (LETs). Simulated singles list-mode data of the MADPET-II small animal PET scanner were used as input. The simulations have been performed using the GATE simulation toolkit. Several sources with different geometries have been employed. We evaluated the number of random events using three methods: delayed window (DW), singles rate (SR) and time histogram fitting (TH). Since the GATE simulations allow random and true coincidences to be distinguished, a comparison between the number of random coincidences estimated using the standard methods and the number obtained using GATE was performed. An overestimation in the number of random events was observed using the DW and SR methods. This overestimation decreases for LETs higher than 255 keV. It is additionally reduced when the single events which have undergone a Compton interaction in crystals before being detected are removed from the data. These two observations lead us to infer that the overestimation is due to inter-crystal scatter. The effect of this mismatch in the reconstructed images is important for quantification because it leads to an underestimation of activity. This was shown using a hot-cold-background source with 3.7 MBq total activity in the background region and a 1.59 MBq total activity in the hot region. For both 200 keV and 400 keV LET, an overestimation of random coincidences for the DW and SR methods was observed, resulting in approximately 1.5% or more (at 200 keV LET: 1.7% for DW and 7% for SR) and less than 1% (at 400 keV LET: both methods) underestimation of activity within the background region. In almost all cases, images obtained by compensating for random events in the reconstruction algorithm were better in terms of quantification than the images made with precorrected data.

Noise evaluation of Compton camera imaging for proton therapy

Compton Cameras emerged as an alternative for real-time dose monitoring techniques for Particle Therapy (PT), based on the detection of prompt-gammas. As a consequence of the Compton scattering process, the gamma origin point can be restricted onto the surface of a cone (Compton cone). Through image reconstruction techniques, the distribution of the gamma emitters can be estimated, using cone-surfaces backprojections of the Compton cones through the image space, along with more sophisticated statistical methods to improve the image quality. To calculate the Compton cone required for image reconstruction, either two interactions, the last being photoelectric absorption, or three scatter interactions are needed. Because of the high energy of the photons in PT the first option might not be adequate, as the photon is not absorbed in general. However, the second option is less efficient. That is the reason to resort to spectral reconstructions, where the incoming γ energy is considered as a variable in the reconstruction inverse problem. Jointly with prompt gamma, secondary neutrons and scattered photons, not strongly correlated with the dose map, can also reach the imaging detector and produce false events. These events deteriorate the image quality. Also, high intensity beams can produce particle accumulation in the camera, which lead to an increase of random coincidences, meaning events which gather measurements from different incoming particles. The noise scenario is expected to be different if double or triple events are used, and consequently, the reconstructed images can be affected differently by spurious data. The aim of the present work is to study the effect of false events in the reconstructed image, evaluating their impact in the determination of the beam particle ranges. A simulation study that includes misidentified events (neutrons and random coincidences) in the final image of a Compton Telescope for PT monitoring is presented. The complete chain of detection, from the beam particle entering a phantom to the event classification, is simulated using FLUKA. The range determination is later estimated from the reconstructed image obtained from a two and three-event algorithm based on Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization. The neutron background and random coincidences due to a therapeutic-like time structure are analyzed for mono-energetic proton beams. The time structure of the beam is included in the simulations, which will affect the rate of particles entering the detector.

Effect of Temperature on the Performance of Proportional APD-Based Modules for Gamma Ray Detection in Positron Emission Tomography

MADPET-II is a small animal PET tomograph that features individual lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystal readout from avalanche photodiodes (APDs). The detector signals are preamplified by 16-channel fully integrated ASICs which are placed as close as possible to the detector in order to avoid attenuation of the signal or unwanted stray capacitance. However, the power consumption of the preamplifier (30 mW per channel) can cause heat transfer and, consequently, gain drift to temperature sensitive detectors. Temperature measurements on the front-end electronics of MADPET-II have shown a maximum increase of approximately 30 C in the area around the preamplifier and in the area around the APD-LSO detector with respect to room temperature. In the presence of this temperature gradient, energy spectra have been acquired from which a significant drift of the photopeak (3.4% per C) and a small increase of the mean energy resolution (3% over the whole temperature range studied) with increasing temperature has been observed. The effect of temperature on the time resolution is small in comparison to the effect of walk and jitter introduced by the analog processing electronics. The behavior of two 48 LSO-APD front-end detector arrays in coincidence at temperatures below ambient and at various values of the APD bias voltage in terms of energy and time resolution has also been studied. The total current drawn by the APDs (leakage current and photocurrent) has been monitored at various temperatures and APD bias and was modelled and fitted by a theoretical function demonstrating a and dependence. No significant improvement on time resolution with decreasing temperature has been observed. For temperature stabilization and monitoring, thermoelectric cooling is considered appropriate for mounting in the limited free space of a PET scanner, especially when this is inside an MR scanner for simultaneous PET/MR imaging.

Comparison of coincidence identification techniques for high resolution PET

For increasing the resolution and sensitivity of a PET scanner one of the possible paths to follow consists in using low energy thresholds such that multiple events, specially triples, are present in the data. But if these events are going to be used for the image reconstruction, first, a good identification algorithm should be applied to the data. In this work we have focused in two commonly used sorting algorithms: those which use only a single time coincidence window opened at a time, SW, and those which use multiple simultaneous windows, MW. The investigated sorting methods are simple versions that use exclusively timestamps but do not take advantage of other possible information items, such as energy deposition and/or relative positions of the crystals.

Performance of MACACO Compton telescope for ion-beam therapy monitoring: first test with proton beams

In order to exploit the advantages of ion-beam therapy in a clinical setting, delivery verification techniques are necessary to detect deviations from the planned treatment. Efforts are currently oriented towards the development of devices for real-time range monitoring. Among the different detector concepts proposed, Compton cameras are employed to detect prompt gammas and represent a valid candidate for real-time range verification. We present the first on-beam test of MACACO, a Compton telescope (multi-layer Compton camera) based on lanthanum bromide crystals and silicon photo-multipliers. The Compton telescope was first characterized through measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. The detector linearity was measured employing (22)Na and Am-Be sources, obtaining about 10% deviation from linearity at 3.44 MeV. A spectral image reconstruction algorithm was tested on synthetic data. Point-like sources emitting gamma rays with energy between 2 and 7 MeV were reconstructed with 3-5 mm resolution. The two-layer Compton telescope was employed to measure radiation emitted from a beam of 150 MeV protons impinging on a cylindrical PMMA target. Bragg-peak shifts were achieved via adjustment of the PMMA target location and the resulting measurements used during image reconstruction. Reconstructed Bragg peak profiles proved sufficient to observe peak-location differences within 10 mm demonstrating the potential of the MACACO Compton Telescope as a monitoring device for ion-beam therapy.

A Compton imaging algorithm for on-line monitoring in hadron therapy

Hadron therapy, a subject of study by the ENVISION project, promises to provide enhanced accuracy in the treatment of cancer. The Bragg-peak, characteristic of the hadron-beam structure provides larger dose to the tumor while being able to spare surrounding tissue - even tissues in the beam-path, beyond the tumor-site. However, increased dose gradients require more precise treatment, as small beam misalignment can result in dose to healthy, often delicate, surrounding tissue. The requirement for accuracy necessitates imaging during therapy, yet the lack of a transmitted beam makes this difficult. The particulate beam interacts with the target material producing neutrons, positron emitting isotopes and a broad spectra of gamma radiation. Photons from positron-annihilation allow in-beam PET to provide on-line measurements of dose deposition during therapy. However, ib-PET suffers from low statistics and lost projections due to low sensitivity and detector constraints respectively. Instead, Compton imaging of gamma radiation is proposed to provide on-line monitoring for hadron therapy. Compton imaging suffers similarly from low statistics, especially, as is the case here, when incident energy is unknown. To surmount this problem, a method of Compton image reconstruction is proposed and tested using simulated data, which reconstructs incident energy along with the spatial variation in emission density. Through incident energy estimation, a larger range of measurements are available for image-reconstruction - greatly increasing the sensitivity of the system. It is shown in this preliminary study that, even with few statistics, a reasonable estimate of the beam path is calculable.

Polar voxelization schemes combined with a Monte-Carlo based system matrix for image reconstruction in high resolution PET

Iterative methods are currently accepted as the gold standard image reconstruction methods in nuclear medicine. The quality of the final reconstructed image greatly depends on how good the physical processes are modelled in the System-Response-Matrix (SRM). Monte-Carlo based methods are a promising approach to calculate the SRM. However, the increasing granularity used in the detector and image space of high resolution small animal scanners has a direct impact on the time needed to calculate the matrix and its file size. The more physical processes are included in the SRM, or the better these processes are modelled, has a significant impact on the simulation time and the number of non-zero SRM elements. The use of polar voxels is an alternative to tackle this problem. In this work, a study on the performance and image quality of reconstructed images using polar voxels is compared to the traditional approach of cubic voxels, both based on a Monte-Carlo generated SRM. Several alternatives for polar voxelization, and comparison with cubic voxels are also studied in this work. The results obtained show that polar voxels produce reconstructed images with similar image quality, at the cost of reduced spatial resolution in the centre of the field of view (FOV), due to the elongated shape of the voxels in that region. This problem is of great importance, given that the centre of the FOV usually is the region of a PET scanner with highest sensitivity, and high spatial resolution in preclinical studies in this region is vital. A solution to this problem is proposed, introducing a different polar voxelization scheme for the central region of the FOV. It is demonstrated that the spatial resolution is fully recovered in this region, compared to Cartesian voxelization.

PET Reconstruction From Truncated Projections Using Total-Variation Regularization for Hadron Therapy Monitoring

Hadron therapy exploits the properties of ion beams to treat tumors by maximizing the dose released to the target and sparing healthy tissue. With hadron beams, the dose distribution shows a relatively low entrance dose which rises sharply at the end of the range, providing the characteristic Bragg peak that drops quickly thereafter. It is of critical importance in order not to damage surrounding healthy tissues and/or avoid targeting underdosage to know where the delivered dose profile ends-the location of the Bragg peak. During hadron therapy, short-lived β+-emitters are produced along the beam path, their distribution being correlated with the delivered dose. Following positron annihilation, two photons are emitted, which can be detected using a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner. The low yield of emitters, their short half-life, and the wash out from the target region make the use of PET, even only a few minutes after hadron irradiation, a challenging application. In-beam PET represents a potential candidate to estimate the distribution of β+-emitters during or immediately after irradiation, at the cost of truncation effects and degraded image quality due to the partial rings required of the PET scanner. Time-of-flight (ToF) information can potentially be used to compensate for truncation effects and to enhance image contrast. However, the highly demanding timing performance required in ToF-PET makes this option costly. Alternatively, the use of maximum-a-posteriori- expectation-maximization (MAP-EM), including total variation (TV) in the cost function, produces images with low noise, while preserving spatial resolution. In this paper, we compare data reconstructed with maximum-likelihood-expectation-maximization (ML-EM) and MAP-EM using TV as prior, and the impact of including ToF information, from data acquired with a complete and a partial-ring PET scanner, of simulated hadron beams interacting with a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) target. The results show that MAP-EM, in the absence of ToF information, produces lower noise images and more similar data compared to the simulated β+ distributions than ML-EM with ToF information in the order of 200-600 ps. The investigation is extended to the combination of MAP-EM and ToF information to study the limit of performance using both approaches.

Evaluation of different random estimation methods for the MADPET-II small animal PET scanner using GATE

The validity of random estimation techniques has been studied for various low energy thresholds (LETs) for singles list-mode simulated data sets of the MADPET-II small animal PET scanner. MADPET-II is a dual layer PET scanner prototype consisting of LSO crystals read individually from avalanche photodiodes (APDs). The simulations have been performed using GATE simulation toolkit. Several sources have been simulated, such as point, planar, cylindrical and Derenzo. We have evaluated the randoms using three standard methods, the delayed window (DW), singles rate (SR) and time histogram fitting (THF). In addition, we know from simulations how to discriminate between random and true coincidences. Therefore, we compare the randoms estimated with the above methods with the number of randoms obtained using GATE information. An overestimation in the number of randoms has been observed for DW and SR methods. We pointed out that this mismatch is due to the inter-crystal scatter (events that take place between the crystals) since is reduced for LETs higher than 255 keV. Nevertheless, this discrepancy does not have a significant effect to the quality of the reconstructed images.