Development and performance evaluation of Time-over-Threshold based digital PET (TODPET2) scanner using SiPM/Ce:GAGG-arrays for non-invasive measurement of blood RI concentrations

We developed Time-over-Threshold based digital PET (TODPET2) tomograph using silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) arrays coupled with pixelized Ce:Gd3(Ga, Al)5O12 (Ce:GAGG) scintillators dedicated for non-invasive measurement of blood RI concentrations. The detector consists of 1.57 × 1.57 mm2 SiPM chips and 1.6 × 1.6 × 15 mm3 Ce:GAGG scintillators arranged on a 12 × 12 channel, both working as individual readout systems. After the development of the detector, we fabricated the PET gantry composed of 8 pieces of SiPM/Ce:GAGG detector array which signals were sent to the current-comparing type time-over-threshold (TOT) ASIC for individual readout of pixels. The PET scanner which we developed has 25 mm axial field-of-view (FOV) and 60 mm transaxial FOV. The spatial resolution reconstructed with maximum likelihood estimation method (MLEM) is 0.98 mm (FWHM) at the center of FOV. The sensitivity of the system is measured to be 1.31% using 22Na point source. Finally, timing response to changes in RI concentration was also measured using 5 mm diameter syringe injected with several concentrations of 18FDG.