Continuous Phoswich Detector for Molecular Imaging

描述(由申请人提供)：核医学中使用的正电子发射断层扫描(PET)成像系统可能会由于视差效应而损失空间分辨率，称为径向伸长。能够确定相互作用深度(DOI)的闪烁探测器将是一项重要的进步。以前曾尝试开发用于PET的DOI闪烁体，但所有这些闪烁体都有显著的性能限制。拟议的第一阶段研究的目标是证明开发一种新型的DOI闪烁体的可行性，在该闪烁体中，光发射的衰减时间随深度连续变化。材料处理技术将被用来形成连续的光敏探测器，这将产生一种光发射的衰减时间随深度连续变化的结构。我们的方法可能适用于一些正在积极开发的新闪烁体，因为它们具有优越的性能，以及其他已知的随着掺杂浓度而呈现出显著变化的衰减时间的闪烁体。一些最有可能的候选人将接受初步调查。闪烁体的制造和初步表征将在RMD进行，与分子成像相关的测试将在我们的合作者在亚利桑那大学的设施中进行。分子成像技术非常适合于对放射性标记抗体和其他可用于定位和表征肿瘤的物质进行成像，并且非常适合于开发用于诊断和治疗人类疾病的新的放射性标记试剂。该探测器的研制将显著提高测量的分辨率和灵敏度。反过来，这将鼓励开发诊断、分期和治疗的高级药物和技术，以减缓甚至治愈某些癌症、心脏疾病和循环系统疾病的进展。在医学成像之外，拟议的开发将在工业射线照相、无损评估、国土安全和先进成像系统中得到广泛应用。与公众健康相关：核医学中使用的正电子发射断层扫描(PET)成像系统可能会由于视差效应而导致空间分辨率下降，称为径向拉长。能够确定相互作用深度(DOI)的闪烁探测器将是一项重要的进步。以前曾尝试开发用于PET的DOI闪烁体，但所有这些闪烁体都有显著的性能限制。这项研究将证明开发一种新型的DOI闪烁体的可行性，在该闪烁体中，光发射的衰减时间随深度连续变化。这项研究的成功完成将导致在医学成像、工业射线照相、无损评估、国土安全和先进成像系统方面的广泛应用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging systems used in Nuclear Medicine can suffer from loss of spatial resolution due to parallax effects, called radial elongation. A scintillation detector that allows depth-of- interaction (DOI) determination would be an important advance. Previous attempts were made to develop DOI scintillators for PET, but all of them had significant performance limitations. The goal of the proposed Phase I research is to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a novel DOI scintillator in which the decay time of the light emission varies continuously with depth. The material processing techniques will be used to form a continuous phoswich detector, which will create a structure where the decay time of the light emission varies continuously with depth. Our approach is likely applicable to a number of new scintillators that are actively under development because of their superior properties, as well as to other scintillators known to show dramatic variations in decay times with dopant concentration. A number of most likely candidates will be initially investigated. Scintillator fabrication and initial characterization will be performed at RMD, and tests pertinent to molecular imaging will be performed at our collaborator's facilities at the University of Arizona. Molecular imaging techniques are well suited for imaging radiolabeled antibodies and other substances that can be used to localize and characterize tumors, and are well suited to the development of new radiolabeled agents for diagnosing and treating diseases in humans. The development of this detector will significantly improve the resolution and sensitivity with which measurements can be made. In turn, this will encourage the development of superior drugs and technologies to diagnose, stage and treat to curtail the progression of and even cure certain cancers, diseases of the heart and disorders of the circulatory system. Outside medical imaging, the proposed development will have widespread applications in industrial radiography, nondestructive evaluations, homeland security, and advanced imaging systems. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging systems used in nuclear medicine can suffer from loss of spatial resolution due to parallax effects, called radial elongation. A scintillation detector that allows depth-of- interaction (DOI) determination would be an important advance. Previous attempts were made to develop DOI scintillators for PET, but all of them had significant performance limitations. The proposed research will demonstrate the feasibility of developing a novel DOI scintillator in which the decay time of the light emission varies continuously with depth. The successful completion of the research will lead to widespread applications in medical imaging, industrial radiography, nondestructive evaluations, homeland security, and advanced imaging systems.