Speaker
Description
The integration of PET with MRI has accelerated the transition from traditional photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to solid-state photodetectors such as avalanche photodiodes (APDs) and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), driven largely by the need for magnetic field immunity. Recent advancements in SiPM technology -including higher photodetection efficiency (PDE), reduced noise and crosstalk, and improved timing performance -have made them strong candidates for time-of-flight PET (TOF-PET) scanners. Moreover, their availability in diverse geometries/sizes, ranging from single units to linear arrays and matrices, has expanded their applicability in detector design.
In parallel, the pursuit of cost-effective whole-body PET devices has led to the exploration of plastic scintillators as alternatives to conventional high-Z materials such as NaI(Tl) or BGO, with TOF performance compensating for lower stopping power.
This study presents a comparative evaluation of conventional PMTs and commercially available SiPMs from Hamamatsu and Onsemi, tested across different sizes and geometries along with the different size and shape of plastic scintillators made in different companies/labs. The results provide insights into the relative performance and suitability of these detectors for future PET systems, particularly in the context of affordable, high-performance TOF full-body imaging.
| Position | Research Scholar |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai |
| Country | India |