A fully automated and scalable timing probe-based method for time alignment of the LabPET II scanners

Samson, Arnaud; Thibaudeau, Christian; Bouchard, Jean; Gaudin, Émilie; Paulin, Caroline; Fontaine, R.

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2018.01.049

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The entire scanner assembly is displayed in figure 1(c) showing the coincidence board, the adaptor boards, and the DMs. The scanner is connected to a remote PC through a 100 Mbits s −1 Ethernet link for configuration and through a 1 Gbit s −1 user datagram protocol (UDP) optical link for PET data transfer (Samson et al 2018).…”

Section: Labpet II Building Blocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance investigation of LabPET II detector technology in an MRI-like environment

et al. 2020

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The EMI-compatibility of the LabPET II detection module (DM) to develop a high-resolution simultaneous PET/MRI system is investigated. The experimental set-up evaluates the performance of two LabPET II DMs in close proximity to RF coils excited at three different frequencies mimicking the electromagnetic environments of 3 T, 7 T, and 9.4 T MRI scanners. A gradient coil, with switching frequency from 10 kHz to 100 kHz, also surrounds one of the DMs to investigate the effects of the gradient field on the individual detector performance, such as the baseline of the DC-voltage and noise level along with both the energy and coincidence time resolutions. Measurements demonstrate a position shift of the energy photopeaks (⩽9%) and a slight deterioration of the energy and coincidence time resolutions in the presence of electromagnetic interferences from the gradient and RF coils. The electromagnetic interferences cause an average degradation of up to ~50% of the energy resolution (in time-over-threshold spectra) and up to 18% of the timing resolution. Based on these results, a modified version of the DM, including a composite shielding as well as an improved heat pipe-based cooling mechanism, capable of stabilizing the temperature of the DM at ~40 °C, is proposed and investigated. This shielded version shows no evidence of performance degradation inside an MRI-like environment. The experimental results demonstrate that a properly shielded version of the LabPET II DM is a viable candidate for an MR-compatible PET scanner.

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Section: Labpet II Building Blocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance investigation of LabPET II detector technology in an MRI-like environment

et al. 2020

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“…The data are sent to an FPGA‐based embedded signal‐processing unit (ESPU) through low‐voltage differential signaling (LVDS) links. Another set of links connects ESPUs to the coincidence, communication, and gating units for further signal processing 20 . In the standard architecture, a combination of a heat pipe and forced airflow is required to stabilize the temperature at about 40°C 17,21 …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another set of links connects ESPUs to the coincidence, communication, and gating units for further signal processing. 20 In the standard architecture, a combination of a heat pipe and forced airflow is required to stabilize the temperature at about 40°C. 17,21…”

Section: A Standard Detection Modulementioning

confidence: 99%

MRI‐compatibility study of a PET‐insert based on a low‐profile detection front‐end with submillimeter spatial resolution

et al. 2020

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The LabPET II detection module is a potential candidate to create an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible positron emission tomography (PET)-insert with submillimeter spatial resolution for small animal applications. However, the feasibility of such an insert is hampered by the large radial size of the LabPET II front-end electronics and by components containing ferromagnetic materials. In this paper, a new low-profile front-end design based on the LabPET II architecture, called "low-profile detection module," is investigated. Materials and methods: The performance of the low-profile detection module in the presence of MRI-like RF signals and gradient coil pulses was independently examined. The baseline of the analog signal, its RMS noise level, and the energy resolution, determined by a dual time-over-threshold (dTOT) method for each pixel of the new low-profile detection module, was measured in the presence of RF signals at different frequencies equivalent to the Larmor frequency of 3, 7, and 9.4 T MRI. The same parameters were investigated in the presence of a gradient coil switching at frequencies from 10 to 100 kHz. The performance of the low-profile detection module inside a 7 T MRI and its effects on an MR image have also been studied using gradient echo sequences. The same measurements were repeated for the shielded low-profile detection module, inside and outside the MRI. Results: Our results show that pulses in both the kilohertz and megahertz ranges cause up to 50% increase in the noise level of the baseline (DC analog signal at the output of the shaper filter) and up to 17% degradation in TOT energy resolution. By inserting a conducting composite layer as shielding around the low-profile detection module, these degrading effects were avoided. The performance measurement of the low-profile PET detection module inside a 7 T small animal MRI scanner confirmed that the shielded low-profile detection module behavior was similar inside and outside the MRI bore. In addition, gradient echo images of a water-filled phantom without and with the shielded and unshielded low-profile detection modules were acquired. The results demonstrated no evidence of artifacts in the MR image, either due to eddy currents or ferromagnetic materials with the shielded modules. Conclusion: A low-profile detection module based on the LabPET II technology was shown to be a viable candidate as a PET-insert for simultaneous PET/MRI applications considering its thin radial size and its EMI immunity due to placing it between two electronic boards. In comparison to the standard LabPET II detection module, it provides better performance in the presence of electromagnetic interferences, but a shielding layer is still required. When properly shielded, the proposed lowprofile detection module can be operated inside an MRI without degrading the PET count rate or the MRI performance.

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Solid scintillation analysis

L’Annunziata¹

2020

Handbook of Radioactivity Analysis

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A fully automated and scalable timing probe-based method for time alignment of the LabPET II scanners

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

Performance investigation of LabPET II detector technology in an MRI-like environment

Performance investigation of LabPET II detector technology in an MRI-like environment

MRI‐compatibility study of a PET‐insert based on a low‐profile detection front‐end with submillimeter spatial resolution

Solid scintillation analysis

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