Time-of-Flight PET for Improved Whole-Body Imaging

项目摘要 本申请是R 01-CA-113941的竞争性更新，旨在开发技术和方法， 飞行时间（TOF）成像，以提高正电子发射断层扫描（PET）仪器的性能， 它们在癌症和其他疾病的管理中的应用。在这次更新中，我们建议继续 TOF PET扫描仪设计的系统方法，但转向结合先进的TOF技术 具有更长的轴向视场（AFOV）扫描仪设计。加州大学戴维斯分校的uEXPLORER和宾夕法尼亚州立大学 Explorer已经产生了质量上级图像，是现代临床扫描仪无法比拟的， 这类全身（TB）PET仪器所提供的机会令该领域的人们感到非常兴奋。然而，在这方面， TB-PET成功将最终取决于在多个地点的集成和利用，这反过来 取决于仪器的成本和性能。我们建议进行研究，以证明 如何实现改进的性能，同时还考虑如何限制设计成本。 我们的目标是研究扫描仪配置，不同的轴向视场（AFOV）和先进的探测器设计 提供不同的性能权衡，并通过它们对各种 潜在的TB-PET临床/研究应用。我们的研究将包括开发使能技术 对于两种飞行时间探测器概念：一种（使用LYSO）强调飞行时间性能，目标为150 ps， 任何现有的PET扫描仪，与其他（与BGO）强调更高的内在灵敏度。这些 探测器将在扫描器几何结构的背景下进行研究，扫描器具有全探测器覆盖范围，或具有环间间隙 这允许扩展AFOV同时限制探测器的数量。TB-PET扫描仪具有戏剧性的 响应线（LOR）数量的增加，因此我们可以利用改进的TOF的优势（以及 空间）分辨率，以优化LYSO检测器的数量，或者使用更高的灵敏度，但 更便宜的BGO探测器。 在PennPET Explorer扫描仪上进行的人体临床/研究将通过以下方式进行补充： 模拟不同的扫描仪设计和先进的探测器技术。新的探测器概念将是 在工作台上和使用少量探测器操作的扫描仪演示装置上进行了测试 巧合。我们的工作将以考虑整个系统的可扩展性和新的 系统性能和临床受益的方法。我们从TB-PET系统获取临床研究数据 为我们实现目标提供了独特的优势。该项目的成果将为以下方面提供指导： 优先考虑未来TB-PET系统的设计。

PROJECT SUMMARY This application is a competitive renewal of R01-CA-113941 to develop technology and methodologies for time- of-flight (TOF) imaging to advance the performance of positron emission tomography (PET) instruments and their utilization in the management of cancer and other diseases. In this renewal we propose to continue a systematic approach to TOF PET scanner design, but with a shift towards combining advanced TOF technology with longer axial field-of-view (AFOV) scanner designs. Both the uEXPLORER at UC Davis and the PennPET Explorer have produced qualitatively superior images, unmatched by modern clinical scanners, and there is enormous excitement in the field for the opportunities that such total-body (TB) PET instruments offer. However, the success of TB-PET will ultimately depend on integration and utilization at multiple sites, which, in turn depends on the cost as well as performance of the instrument. We propose to perform studies to demonstrate how to achieve improved performance while also considering ways to constrain the cost of the design. Our goal is to study scanner configurations, with varied axial field-of-view (AFOV) and advanced detector designs that offer different trade-offs in performance and to judge the merits of these choices by their impact on a variety of potential TB-PET clinical/research applications. Our studies will include development of enabling technology for two TOF detector concepts: one (with LYSO) emphasizing TOF performance with a target of 150 ps, below that of any existing PET scanner, with the other (with BGO) emphasizing higher intrinsic sensitivity. These detectors will be studied in the context of scanner geometries with full detector coverage, or with inter-ring gaps that permit extending the AFOV while constraining the number of detectors. A TB-PET scanner has a dramatic increase in the number of lines-of-response (LORs), so we can leverage the advantages of improved TOF (and spatial) resolutions to optimize the number of LYSO detectors, or alternatively, use the higher sensitivity, but less-costly BGO detectors. Human clinical/research studies performed on the PennPET Explorer scanner will be complemented by simulations of varying scanner designs and advanced detector technology. The new detector concepts will be tested both on the benchtop and with a scanner demonstrator setup using a small number of detectors operating in coincidence. Our work will be guided with consideration of scalability to a full system and the impact of new methods on system performance and clinical benefit. Our access to clinical research data from a TB-PET system provides us a unique advantage in achieving our goals. The outcome of this project will provide guidance to prioritize the design of future TB-PET systems.