Development of Pr:LuAG Scintillator Array and Assembly for Positron Emission Mammography

Abstract-In order to detect the breast cancer at the early stage with high efficiency, we intend to develop positron emission mammography (PEM), using Pr:LuAG single crystal as a scintillator of this scanner. PEM has the same mechanism of PET, where two 511 keV annihilation gamma-rays are detected by two gamma cameras at opposite side, and reconstruction of the data shows the position of the cancer with malignancy grades. After cutting and polishing processes for each crystal to a physical dimensions of 2.1 × 2.1 × 15 mm³, Pr:LuAG array covered with BaSO₄ reflector was used as a sensor head. The one camera unit consisted of 20 × 64 pixels optically coupled with three H8500-03 multi anode PMTs. Our PEM required four cameras at each side. Finally, eight cameras were installed in both sides of the prototype instrument and the spatial resolution was evaluated using the ¹⁸F in the breast phantom.