Speaker
Dr
William Moses
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Description
Simple theory predicts that the signal to noise ratio in PET can be reduced by an order of magnitude by using
time-of-flight (TOF) information. This reduction can be obtained by improving the coincidence timing
resolution, and so would be achievable in clinical, whole body studies using with PET systems that differ little
from existing cameras. The potential impact of this development is large, especially for oncology studies in
large patients, where it is sorely needed.
TOF PET was extensively studied in the 1980’s but died away in the 1990’s, as it was impossible to reliably
achieve sufficient timing resolution without sacrificing other important PET performance aspects, such as
spatial resolution and efficiency. Recent advances in technology (scintillators, photodetectors, and high speed
electronics) have renewed interest in TOF PET, which is experiencing a rebirth. However, there is still much to
be done, both in instrumentation development and evaluating the true benefits of TOF in modern clinical PET.
This paper looks at what has been accomplished and what needs to be done before time-of-flight PET can
reach its full potential.
Author
Dr
William Moses
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
