COMPACT PET SYSTEM FOR BREAST CANCER IMAGING

正电子发射断层扫描(PET)是一种功能成像技术，有可能量化体内生物过程的速率。许多最近的报告描述了利用正电子标记示踪剂对乳腺癌患者进行PET的应用，这种示踪剂使肿瘤能够以高灵敏度和高特异度被可视化。然而，目前的临床PET扫描仪由于灵敏度低、计数率限制和散射量大而产生的乳腺图像相当差，而且也很昂贵。在拟议的项目中，我们计划开发一种高分辨率、专用的、小体积的PET系统，用于乳房成像，使用一种有前途的新设计的硅雪崩光电二极管(APD)阵列。第一阶段的项目非常成功，我们制作了4x4单元雪崩光电二极管阵列。当与LSO闪烁体耦合时，这些阵列显示出高增益、低噪声、高量子效率和良好的能量分辨率。还进行了计时、晶体鉴定和相互作用深度测量，取得了很好的结果。因此，在紧凑、低成本、小体积的PET系统中使用APD阵列的可行性得到了充分的证明。第二阶段项目将建立在成功的第一阶段结果的基础上，并将涉及开发用于乳房和小动物成像的高性能PET模块。建议的商业应用：医疗应用，如专用小容量PET系统、全身PET扫描仪、SPECT和伽马相机以及手术探头。其他非医疗应用，如天文学、无损检测、生物和化学检测、核物理和高能物理、材料研究。

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique with potential to quantify the rates of biological processes in vivo. Many recent reports describe use of PET for patients with breast cancer utilizing positron-tagged tracers which allow tumors to be visualized with high sensitivity and specificity. However, current clinical PET scanners yield quite poor images of the breast due to low sensitivity, count rate limitations and large amount of scatter, and are also expensive. In the proposed project, we plan to develop a high resolution, dedicated, small volume PET system for breast imaging using a promising new design of silicon avalanche photodiode (APD) arrays. The Phase I project was very successful, and we fabricated 4x4 element APD arrays. These arrays showed high gain, low noise, high quantum efficiency, and good energy resolution when coupled to LSO scintillators. Timing, crystal identification, and depth of interaction measurements were also carried out with very good results. Thus, the feasibility of using APD arrays in a compact, low cost, small volume PET system was adequately demonstrated. The Phase II project will build on the successful Phase I results and will involve development high performance PET modules for both breast and small animal imaging. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Medical applications such as dedicated small volume PET systems, whole body PET scanners, SPECT and gamma camera, and surgical probes. other non medical applications like astronomy, non-destructive testing, biological and chemical detection, nuclear and high energy physics, materials research.