Positron emission tomography (PET) is a valuable technique to monitor in situ and non-invasively the particle range in ion beam therapy exploiting the beta+ activity produced in nuclear interactions along the beam path within the target volume. Due to the high random rates and dead-time losses induced by the particle spills, as of to date data are usually acquired during beam pauses or after the irradiation. We have developed a new PET prototype with a faster photon discrimination component that reduces the front-end dead time, and a modularized acquisition system that parallelizes the sensitive detector area, so as to enable data acquisition also during therapeutic irradiation (full in-beam measurement). The PET system has been able to sustain the single photon count rates and acquire coincidences during the beam, in conditions of sub-clinical beam currents. A study on the paralyzation conditions and dead time losses under different beam currents is presented and the feasibility of a full in-beam PET scanner is discussed.

Full in-beam PET measurements of 62 MeV protons onto a PMMA target

SPORTELLI, GIANCARLO;ATTANASI, FRANCESCA;BELCARI, NICOLA;CAMARLINGHI, NICCOLO';ROSSO, VALERIA;DEL GUERRA, ALBERTO
2013-01-01

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a valuable technique to monitor in situ and non-invasively the particle range in ion beam therapy exploiting the beta+ activity produced in nuclear interactions along the beam path within the target volume. Due to the high random rates and dead-time losses induced by the particle spills, as of to date data are usually acquired during beam pauses or after the irradiation. We have developed a new PET prototype with a faster photon discrimination component that reduces the front-end dead time, and a modularized acquisition system that parallelizes the sensitive detector area, so as to enable data acquisition also during therapeutic irradiation (full in-beam measurement). The PET system has been able to sustain the single photon count rates and acquire coincidences during the beam, in conditions of sub-clinical beam currents. A study on the paralyzation conditions and dead time losses under different beam currents is presented and the feasibility of a full in-beam PET scanner is discussed.
2013
Sportelli, Giancarlo; K., Straub; M., Aiello; Attanasi, Francesca; Belcari, Nicola; Camarlinghi, Niccolo'; G. A. P., Cirrone; G., Cuttone; S., Ferrett...espandi
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/501272
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