Waveform-Sampling Electronics for a Whole-Body Time-of-Flight PET Scanner

Author

Ashmanskas, W.J. ; LeGeyt, B.C. ; Newcomer, F.M. ; Panetta, J.V. ; Ryan, W.A. ; Van Berg, R. ; Wiener, Rony I. ; Karp, Joel S.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Radiol., Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Volume

61

Issue

3

fYear

2014

fDate

Jun-14

Firstpage

1174

Lastpage

1181

Abstract

Waveform sampling is an appealing technique for instruments requiring precision time and pulse-height measurements. Sampling each photomultiplier tube (PMT) waveform at oscilloscope-like rates of several gigasamples per second enables one to process PMT signals digitally, which in turn makes it straightforward to optimize timing resolution and amplitude (energy and position) resolution in response to calibration effects, pile-up effects, and other systematic sources of waveform variation. We describe a system design and preliminary implementation that neatly maps waveform-sampling technology onto the LaPET prototype whole-body time-of-flight PET scanner that serves as the platform for testing this new technology.

Keywords

biomedical electronics; calibration; photomultipliers; positron emission tomography; sampling methods; waveform analysis; LaPET prototype; PMT; calibration effects; photomultiplier tube; waveform-sampling electronics; whole-body time-of-flight PET scanner; Arrays; Crystals; Detectors; Energy resolution; Field programmable gate arrays; Positron emission tomography; Timing; Fast timing; PET instrumentation; field-programmable gate array (FPGA); front-end electronics; time-of-flight PET; trigger systems; waveform sampling;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Nuclear Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9499

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TNS.2014.2303119

Filename

6800138