Speaker
Prof.
Chuck Melcher
(The University of Tennessee)
Description
The evolution of Lu2SiO5:Ce from an experimental powder phosphor synthesized in the
laboratory to the large scale commercial production of single crystals implemented
in Positron Emission Tomography spanned more than 10 years and required solutions
to numerous technical problems including the understanding of the scintillation
mechanism, the purification of raw materials, the development of a practical
crystal growth process, the development of detector processing techniques, the
optimization of detector design, and the integration of detectors into imaging
systems. It also required financial commitment, patience, luck, and a willingness
to accept risk. The discovery and development of LSO:Ce are discussed from both
historical and technical points of view, and prospects for the use of LSO:Ce in
future advanced imaging systems such as Time-of-Flight PET are considered in
comparison to new scintillators that are on the horizon.
Author
Prof.
Chuck Melcher
(The University of Tennessee)
