Innovative PET detector concept based on SiPMs and continuous crystals

The use of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) has been proposed for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) readout because they are hardly affected by magnetic fields and their time response enables Time of Flight measurements. This work proposes an array of SiPM to be coupled to a monolithic LYSO crystal by means of a series of optical devices. The emitted light distribution by the scintillation crystal will be accurately determined using an Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The described sensor block aims to determine the planar coordinates and depth of interaction of the gamma ray with sub-millimetrical precision. In this work we present the initial studies regarding edge effects due to thick monolithic crystals and how to overcome these limitations by means of optical devices namely faceplates and light concentrators. We will also discuss on the alignment of such optical devices with the SiPMs.