Preliminary report on the development of a high resolution PET camera using semiconductor detectors

We are developing a PET camera using small semiconductor detectors, whose resolution is equivalent to the physical limit of spatial resolution. First, a coincidence system of 16 Schottky CdTe detectors of 0.5 mm, width obtained a resolution of < 1 mm, and it was confirmed that the Schottky CdTe detector is suitable for high resolution PET. Next, the performance of a pair of 32 channel CdTe arrays (1.2 mm width per channel) was investigated for the development of the prototype of high resolution PET. The time resolution between opposing detector pair was 13 ns (FWHM) when high voltage (700 V) was applied. The image of a 0.6 mm, diameter point source was obtained in an experiment with opposing detector arrays using four channels, indicating that, a higher resolution can be achieved with the 32 channel CdTe array. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.