TlBr Detectors for High Resolution PET Imaging

用于高分辨率 PET 成像的 TlBr 探测器

• 批准号: 9014524
• 负责人: Leonard Cirignano
• 金额: $ 41.68万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-02-13 至 2019-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9014524
• 关键词: Address; Animals; Anodes; Area; Brain; Bromides; Caliber; Cancer Model; Cathodes; CdZnTe; Charge; Collection; DCNU; Data; Deposition; Detection; Development; Devices; Dimensions; Discipline of Nuclear Medicine; Electrodes; Electronics; Electrons; Financial compensation; Foundations; Gamma Rays; Goals; Growth; Health; Image; Imaging Phantoms; Individual; Industry; Measures; Medical Imaging; Methods; Monte Carlo Method; Mus; Noise; Outcome; Performance; Photons; Physics; Polishes; Positioning Attribute; Positron; Positron-Emission Tomography; Process; Production; Property; Reading; Research; Resolution; Scheme; Semiconductors; Silicon; Source; Surface; System; Technology; Temperature; Testing; Thallium; Time; Travel; Work; animal imaging; base; density; design; design and construction; detector; evaporation; flexibility; improved; novel; radiotracer; simulation; tumor heterogeneity; tumor microenvironment

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Thallium bromide (TlBr) is a promising semiconductor for use as a direct g-ray detector for nuclear medicine applications, especially for positron emission tomography (PET). It has the potential to provide very high detection efficiency, excellent spatial resolution, low noise and high-energy resolution. TlBr has high-Z constituents, high density, a wide semiconducting bandgap, and based on recent progress with material purification and growth, can be produced with good charge transport parameters for electrons. A compact semiconductor detector operating at room temperature with high spatial resolution, high detection efficiency and good energy resolution would offer unique advantages over LSO, BGO, and CdTe/CZT, which are the most common g-ray detector materials in small animal PET applications. Indeed, TlBr has better stopping power at 511 keV than any other material currently used in PET scanners. High performance PET detector modules could be utilized to build a scanner able to image substructures within the mouse brain, or to quantitatively assess tumor heterogeneity and microenvironment in a mouse cancer model. We believe that this proposal, which will develop the world's first TlBr-based PET detector modules, will be able to bring this promising technology to a point where its commercial exploitation will be possible. The goal of this proposal is to develop two high-sensitivity TlBr detector modules and associated electronics with intrinsic spatial localization of 0.5 mm in two dimensions and 2.5 mm in the third (depth) dimension. The specific aims address steps needed to produce detector modules from existing high quality detector grade TlBr ingots grown by the travelling molten zone method. The ingots are large enough (30 mm and 50 mm diameter) to cut substrates from which monolithic 20 mm x 20 mm detectors can be fabricated. We will: (1) optimize material processing for planar detector fabrication; (2) produce and test single cross-strip detectors; (3) implement multiplexed multi-channel readout and characterize detector performance in that configuration; (4) build two modules of stacked detectors and use them in a benchtop system to evaluate PET imaging performance. Monte Carlo simulations, incorporating experimentally-measured detector data, will also be used to predict the performance of complete small-animal PET scanners based on these TlBr detector modules. These aims will provide the necessary developments in process and design to produce usefully large-area and high-performance detector modules made from TlBr, aimed initially at providing the sub-mm spatial resolution and high detection efficiency needed for small-animal PET applications.

描述（由申请人提供）： 溴化铊 (TlBr) 是一种很有前途的半导体，可用作核医学应用的直接 g 射线探测器，特别是正电子发射断层扫描 (PET)。它有潜力提供非常高的检测效率、出色的空间分辨率、低噪声和高能量分辨率。 TlBr 具有高 Z 成分、高密度、宽半导体带隙，并且基于材料纯化和生长的最新进展，可以生产出具有良好电子电荷传输参数的材料。与 LSO、BGO 和 CdTe/CZT（小动物 PET 应用中最常见的 g 射线探测器材料）相比，在室温下工作的紧凑型半导体探测器具有高空间分辨率、高探测效率和良好的能量分辨率，具有独特的优势。事实上，TlBr 在 511 keV 下的阻止能力比目前 PET 扫描仪中使用的任何其他材料都要好。高性能 PET 探测器模块可用于构建能够对小鼠大脑内的子结构进行成像的扫描仪，或定量评估小鼠癌症模型中的肿瘤异质性和微环境。我们相信，这项将开发世界上第一个基于 TlBr 的 PET 探测器模块的提案将能够使这项有前途的技术达到商业利用的可能。该提案的目标是开发两个高灵敏度 TlBr 探测器模块和相关电子设备，其固有空间定位在二维中为 0.5 毫米，在第三维中为 2.5 毫米 （深度）维度。具体目标解决了利用移动熔区法生长的现有高质量探测器级 TlBr 锭生产探测器模块所需的步骤。这些锭足够大（直径为 30 毫米和 50 毫米），可以切割基板，从而可以制造单片 20 毫米 x 20 毫米探测器。我们将：（1）优化平面探测器制造的材料加工； (2) 生产并测试单交叉条探测器； (3) 实现复用多通道读出并表征该配置中的检测器性能； (4) 构建两个堆叠探测器模块并在台式系统中使用它们来评估 PET 成像性能。蒙特卡罗模拟结合了实验测量的探测器数据，也将用于预测基于这些 TlBr 探测器模块的完整小动物 PET 扫描仪的性能。这些目标将在工艺和设计方面提供必要的发展，以生产由 TlBr 制成的有用的大面积和高性能探测器模块，最初旨在提供小动物 PET 应用所需的亚毫米空间分辨率和高探测效率。