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By exploiting a suitable treatment of the scintillator surfaces, along with silicon photomultiplier photodetectors and specific algorithms for raw data analysis, we achieved a remarkable tradeoff between energy, time, and depth-of-interaction (DOI) resolution, thus supporting the feasibility of a prostate time-of-flight positron emission tomography probe, magnetic resonance imaging compatible, with the required features and performance. In numbers this means a detector element of 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm × 10 mm, promising to achieve at the same time energy resolution around 11.5%, coincidence resolving time around 300 ps corresponding to a space resolution <5 cm along the line of response, and DOI resolution even below 1 mm. We stress that such a time resolution allows to increase significantly the noise equivalent counting rate, and consequently improve the image quality and the lesion detection capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the measurements performed using a 22Na source on a detector element for a magnetic resonance imaging-compatible time-of-flight-positron emission tomography endorectal prostate probe, with depth-of-interaction sensitivity. It is made from a LYSO scintillator crystal, wrapped with Lumirror, readout at both ends by means of silicon photomultipliers. With a detailed description of the data analysis procedure, we show that our results point to a 400 ps coincidence resolving time and, at the same time, to a depth-of-interaction resolution of 1 mm. These appealing features, along with the tiny 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm × 10 mm crystal size, are quite promising in view of the realization of a prototype probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]