The ClearPEM breast imaging scanner

We present results on the characterization of the ClearPEM breast imaging scanner. ClearPEM is a dual-head positron emission mammography scanner using APD-based detector modules that are capable of measuring the depth-of-interaction (DOI) with a resolution of 2 mm in LYSO:Ce crystals. The full system comprises 192 detector modules with a total of 6144 LYSO:Ce crystals and 384 32-pixel APD arrays read out by ASICs with 192 input channels. The scanner includes front-end and data acquisition electronics and a robotic gantry for detector placement and rotation. The software implements calibration (energy, time and DOI), normalization and image reconstruction algorithms. s conference, the scanner main technical characteristics, the calibration strategies and the spectrometric performance in clinical environment were presented as well as the images obtained with point sources and with a microDerenzo phantom. The image resolution was found to be of the order of 1.3 mm FWHM (center of field-of-view) and the DOI capability has shown to have a strong impact on the image sharpness. An assessment of the first clinical experience was also presented at the conference.