A Dedicated Hardware Architecture for Data Acquisition and Processing in a Time-of-Flight Emission Tomography System (Super-PETT)

We present the architecture, implementation and performance aspects of a dedicated processor for use in Super-PETT, The micro-coded machine accepts event data from the acquisition circuitry and constructs in real time any of three pre-image types, including time-of-flight arrays. Pre-images are later back-loaded to perform high speed reconstructions. One such processor is assigned to each image slice of the Super-PETT. Event rates and processing times are given for various application modalities.