Exploring Cherenkov Emission of BGO for TOF-PET

Bismuth germanate (BGO) was the preferred crystal for positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, but substituted with emergence of faster crystals. Improvements in silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and use fast high frequency readout make it possible to prompt Cherenkov BGO order boost achievable coincidence time resolution (CTR) significantly. The large fluctuations detected photon yield are causing or amplitude walk effects leading edge discrimination, which corrected by measuring initial signal rise via a double threshold system. Further classification “fast” “slow” timing events is shown best all information upgrades CTR most 511-keV events. In assess practicability this novel approach various geometries state-of-the-art SiPMs from HPK, Ketek, Broadcom, FBK have been evaluated focus on applicability total body PET systems. For typical sized crystals (3 × 3 20 mm 3 ) coupled area matching 3-mm xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2 Broadcom 261 ± 8 ps full width at half maximum (FWHM) measured when applying corrections, while individual types different range 205 302-ps FWHM. A further thorough discussion prospects TOF-PET given, especially view event events, corresponding flight kernels ranging low resolution.