Monte Carlo simulation-based design study of a LSO-LuAP small animal PET system

Positron emission tomography (PET) scanners dedicated to small animal imaging should combine very high sensitivity (>2%) and resolution (<2 mm) to achieve image quality comparable to that in human. A promising way to meet these criteria is to develop compact phoswich detector modules with depth-of-interaction (DOI) capability to allow increased sensitivity due to longer crystals without impairing spatial resolution. We are currently exploring this concept within the framework of the European Crystal Clear Collaboration by designing a small animal PET scanner based on L(Y)SO-Lu(Y)AP detector modules coupled to multichannel photomultiplier (MCPMT) tubes. The goal of this work was to perform simulation studies to evaluate the influence of the geometrical design (crystal length, ring diameter, detector packing fraction) on resolution and sensitivity performances of a one-ring prototype.