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Intrinsic spatial resolution evaluation of the X’tal cube PET detector based on a 3D crystal block segmented by laser processing

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Abstract

The X’tal cube is a depth-of-interaction (DOI)-PET detector which is aimed at obtaining isotropic resolution by effective readout of scintillation photons from the six sides of a crystal block. The X’tal cube is composed of the 3D crystal block with isotropic resolution and arrays of multi-pixel photon counters (MPPCs). In this study, to fabricate the 3D crystal block efficiently and precisely, we applied a sub-surface laser engraving (SSLE) technique to a monolithic crystal block instead of gluing segmented small crystals. The SSLE technique provided micro-crack walls which carve a groove into a monolithic scintillator block. Using the fabricated X’tal cube, we evaluated its intrinsic spatial resolution to show a proof of concept of isotropic resolution. The 3D grids of 2 mm pitch were fabricated into an 18 × 18 × 18 mm3 monolithic lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) crystal by the SSLE technique. 4 × 4 MPPCs were optically coupled to each surface of the crystal block. The X’tal cube was uniformly irradiated by 22Na gamma rays, and all of the 3D grids on the 3D position histogram were separated clearly by an Anger-type calculation from the 96-channel MPPC signals. Response functions of the X’tal cube were measured by scanning with a 22Na point source. The gamma-ray beam with a 1.0 mm slit was scanned in 0.25 mm steps by positioning of the X’tal cube at vertical and 45° incident angles. The average FWHM resolution at both incident angles was 2.1 mm. Therefore, we confirmed the isotropic spatial resolution performance of the X’tal cube.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a fund from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Development of Systems and Technology for Advanced Measurement and Analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan

    Eiji Yoshida, Hideaki Tashima, Naoko Inadama, Fumihiko Nishikido, Hideo Murayama & Taiga Yamaya

  2. Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., 5000 Hirakuchi, Hamakita-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 434-8601, Japan

    Takahiro Moriya, Tomohide Omura & Mitsuo Watanabe

Authors
  1. Eiji Yoshida
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  2. Hideaki Tashima
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  3. Naoko Inadama
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  4. Fumihiko Nishikido
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  5. Takahiro Moriya
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  6. Tomohide Omura
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  7. Mitsuo Watanabe
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  8. Hideo Murayama
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  9. Taiga Yamaya
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Correspondence to Eiji Yoshida.

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Yoshida, E., Tashima, H., Inadama, N. et al. Intrinsic spatial resolution evaluation of the X’tal cube PET detector based on a 3D crystal block segmented by laser processing. Radiol Phys Technol 6, 21–27 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-012-0167-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-012-0167-0

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