Design and Simulation of Depth-Encoding PET Detector using Wavelength-Shifting (WLS) Fiber Readout

We propose a new concept for a depth of interaction (DOI) positron emission tomography (PET) detector based on dual-ended-scintillator (DES) readout for small animal imaging. The detector consists of lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) arrays coupled with orthogonal wavelength-shifting (WLS) fibre placed on the top and bottom of the arrays. On every other line, crystals that are 2 mm shorter are arranged to create grooves. WLS fibre is inserted into these grooves. This paper describes the design and performance evaluation of this PET detector using Monte Carlo simulations. To investigate sensitivity by crystal size, five types of PET detectors were simulated. Because the proposed detector is composed of crystals with three different lengths, degradation in sensitivity across the field of view was also explored by simulation. In addition, the effect of DOI resolution on image quality was demonstrated. The simulation results proved that the devised PET detector with excellent DOI resolution is helpful for reducing the channels of sensors/electronics and minimizing gamma ray attenuation and scattering while maintaining good detector performance.