Development and validation of a GATE simulation model for the LabPET scanner

A three-dimensional (3D) model of the LabPET™ scanner has been newly developed by means of GATE (Geant4 application for tomographic emission) with the purpose of carrying out a detailed study of the system’s performance and validating at the same time the potential of GATE for the simulation of PET (positron emission tomography) scanners. The accuracy of this model was examined by comparing simulated, theoretical and experimental results obtained with LabPET for different performance features including detection efficiency, sensitivity, count rates, photoelectric probability, phoswich detector energy resolution and intrinsic spatial resolution. An agreement of 95% for singles count rates, 96% for detection efficiency, and 90% for absolute sensitivity was obtained between simulations and measurements. Also, an agreement of ≫97% for photoelectric fraction, ≫96% for radial intrinsic resolution, ≫93% for axial intrinsic resolution, and 91% for detection efficiency was obtained between simulations and the theoretical calculations. In conclusion, the achieved results support the accurate modeling of LabPET with GATE.