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，具有量化体内生物过程速率的潜力。最近的许多报告都描述了使用正电子标记示踪剂对乳腺癌患者的PET，这种示踪剂使肿瘤具有高灵敏度和特异性。然而，目前的临床PET扫描仪由于灵敏度低、计数率限制和大量散射，产生的乳房图像相当差，而且价格昂贵。在这个项目中，我们计划开发一种高分辨率、专用、小体积的PET系统，用于乳房成像，使用一种有前途的新型硅雪崩光电二极管（APD）阵列。一期项目非常成功，我们制作了4x4单元APD阵列。这些阵列在与LSO闪烁体耦合时具有高增益、低噪声、高量子效率和良好的能量分辨率。定时、晶体识别和相互作用深度测量也进行了非常好的结果。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。第二阶段的项目将以第一阶段的成功成果为基础，包括开发用于乳腺和小动物成像的高性能PET模块。建议的商业应用：医疗应用，如专用小体积PET系统，全身PET扫描仪，SPECT和伽马相机，以及手术探头。其他非医学应用，如天文学、无损检测、生物和化学检测、核和高能物理、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.