PKU-PET-II: A novel SiPM-based PET imaging system for small animals

The objective of this study was to introduce, describe, and validate the performance of a novel preclinical silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based PET system (PKU-PET-II). Briefly, the detector assembly consisted of cerium-doped lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals, with dimensions of 2×2×15 mm3, that offered a 60 mm transaxial field of view (FOV) and 32 mm axial FOV, respectively. The compact front-end electronics readout and digital controller implemented architecture in the FPGA were noteworthy improvements in PKU-PET-II over its predecessor (PKU-PET-I). Based on the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 04-2008 standards, the design of the PKU-PET-II system was validated by a phantom experiment. The results presented spatial resolution (evaluated as full width at half maximum) with a system range from 1.68±0.07 to 2.31±0.03 mm at the FOV center and from 1.43±0.02 to 2.10±0.10 mm at the 1/4th axial FOV, respectively. The system's absolute sensitivity at the center position was 1.35% with the coincidence window of 6 ns and energy window of 300-700 keV. In addition, the NEMA image quality phantom and an animal study results validated the system imaging performance in preclinical imaging application. In conclusion, this SiPM-based, small-animal PET system (PKU-PET-II) provided higher-resolution, adequate sensitivity, and excellent image quality and has potential as a useful tool for real-time imaging of disease progression and development in vivo.