A New Photon Sensor to Improve Molecular Cancer Imaging

描述(由申请人提供)： 我们提出了一种用于正电子发射断层扫描(PET)的新的位置灵敏探测器概念。虽然这种新的光子传感器概念原则上可以用于任何高分辨率的PET癌症成像系统，但我们将重点放在乳腺癌的应用上，因为它具有特别高影响的潜力。PET已显示出在乳腺癌成像方面的前景，但由于乳腺癌特异性和敏感性不足以及成本较高，PET并不是标准实践的一部分。如果成功，我们的发展将通过解决所有这些问题来提高PET在乳腺癌评估中的作用。首先，这个项目将影响PET对乳腺癌的敏感性问题。作为这项计划的长期目标，我们将把新的传感器整合到一台专门用于乳房正电子发射示踪剂成像的相机中。该系统将具有1 mm的空间分辨率和高信噪比，以便将高焦点摄取的微小结构可视化为早期乳腺癌的迹象。这款相机将允许近距离乳房成像，以获得最佳的计数灵敏度，以帮助实现所需的高空间分辨率。PET乳房成像带来了特别的挑战，因为通常示踪剂也可能在附近的心脏被显著摄取，产生高背景康普顿散射和随机重合光子速率，以及较低的病变与背景对比度。提出的高能量分辨率和时间分辨率以及灵活的取向将有助于减少光子散射和随机符合对图像对比度的影响。该系统还将通过提供能够快速生成高质量图像的专用乳房成像系统，帮助乳腺癌研究人员评估更具体的乳腺癌示踪和潜在治疗方法。在这个为期两年的项目中，我们将设计、开发和评估一种新型的位置敏感探测器阵列，并分析整合这些单元的完整成像系统的潜在设计。该阵列模块突破了PET探测器技术的极限。这种创新的设备将具有超高(&lt；1 mm)本征符合空间分辨率，高511keV光子探测效率，并将保持近乎完美的(&gt；95%)闪烁光收集效率，以实现最佳探测器信号。该设计使用闪烁晶体以一种新颖的方式耦合到新的、高度紧凑的半导体光电探测器阵列和定制读出电子设备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to explore a new position sensitive detector concept for positron emission tomography (PET). Although this new photon sensor concept could in principle be utilized in any high resolution PET cancer imaging system, we are focusing on breast cancer applications because there is particular potential for high impact. PET has shown promise for breast cancer imaging, but is not part of standard practice due to inadequate breast cancer specificity and sensitivity, and high cost. If successful, our developments will have impact on increasing the role of PET in breast cancer evaluation by addressing all of these issues. First, this project will impact the PET breast cancer sensitivity issue. As a long term goal of this program we will incorporate the new sensors into a camera dedicated to breast imaging of positron emitting tracers. This system will have < 1 mm spatial resolution and high signal to noise ratio in order to visualize tiny structures of high focal uptake as indication of early breast cancer. This camera will allow close-proximity breast imaging for optimal count sensitivity to help realize the desired high spatial resolution proposed. PET breast imaging poses particular challenges since typically the tracer may also be taken up significantly in the nearby heart, producing high background Compton scatter and random coincident photon rates and lower lesion to background contrast. The high energy and temporal resolutions and flexible orientation proposed will help to reduce photon scatter and random coincidence effects on image contrast. This system will also help breast cancer researchers to evaluate more specific breast cancer tracers and potential treatments by providing a dedicated breast imaging system that can rapidly generate high quality images. For this two-year project we will design, develop and evaluate a novel position sensitive detector array, and analyze potential designs for the full imaging system that incorporates these units. This array module pushes the limits of PET detector technology. This innovative device will have ultra-high (<1 mm) intrinsic coincidence spatial resolution, high 511 keV photon detection efficiency, and will maintain nearly perfect (>95%) scintillation light collection efficiency for optimal detector signals. The design uses scintillation crystals coupled in a novel manner to new, highly compact semiconductor photodetector arrays, and custom readout electronics.