Benchmarking a Monte Carlo simulation code on a prototype LSO scanner

A Monte Carlo simulation code has been developed to predict new positron emission tomography (PET) scanner performance such as sensitivity and scatter fraction or to obtain physics information such as deposited energy spectra. The code has been tested on a PET prototype based on lutetium-ortho-silicate (LSO) panel detectors and its results are in excellent agreement with experimental data; in particular, a comparison of noise-equivalent count-rate curves is presented. Coupling the accurate physics embedded in Monte Carlo simulation and a scanner modeling allowed us to obtain a reliable tool for the PET scanner design.