New mechanisms of ionizing radiation detection for time-of-flight positron emission tomography (ToF-PET) : modulation of optical properties and Cherenkov luminescence
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging technology used every day throughout the world that enables visualization and quantification of the molecular signatures of disease in living subjects in the clinic as well as in biological research. Photon time-of-flight (ToF) capability is a critical and highly desirable feature for PET since it enables substantial signal amplification that enhances signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in reconstructed images, which can be exploited for better lesion visualization and quantification, or to reduce patient injected dose and/or shorten PET scan duration. This ToF enhancement is determined by the PET system's coincidence time resolution (CTR). With a goal to drastically improve CTR over the conventional scintillation-based detection approach used in all existing PET systems, I have explored a new mechanism of ionizing radiation detection using ionization-induced optical property modulations. I have also studied the Cherenkov luminescence emission in novel materials. I have performed theoretical simulations showing that pulse-counting annihilation photon detection as required in PET is feasible by detecting ionization-induced optical property modulations. The lower limit on the achievable CTR for this technique is estimated to be a few picoseconds. I have developed the first proof-of-concept experimental arrangement that shows that the mechanism of optical property modulation (e.g., small changes in refractive index) can be used to detect the effects of ionizing photons. With efforts to amplify the ionization-induced optical property modulation signal and improve the detection sensitivity of experimental setups, I have shown that individual ionizing particle detection can be achieved. I have also performed time correlation experiments and described a promising spectral encoding readout method, which is not limited by electronic readout jitter, and demonstrates the potential for optical readout of ionizing photon interactions to achieve even femtosecond scale timing resolution. In addition, I have studied the timing capability of detecting Cherenkov luminescence in new perovskite bulk crystals as potential ionizing radiation detectors for PET. With outstanding energy resolution, relatively low cost, and an easy crystal growth process in addition to excellent CTR, these perovskite crystals are promising candidates for PET detectors.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2020; ©2020 |
| Publication date | 2020; 2020 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Tao, Li, active 2020 |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Levin, Craig |
| Thesis advisor | Levin, Craig |
| Thesis advisor | Fejer, Martin M. (Martin Michael) |
| Thesis advisor | Harris, J. S. (James Stewart), 1942- |
| Thesis advisor | Miller, D. A. B |
| Degree committee member | Fejer, Martin M. (Martin Michael) |
| Degree committee member | Harris, J. S. (James Stewart), 1942- |
| Degree committee member | Miller, D. A. B |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Electrical Engineering |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Li Tao. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2020. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2020 by Li Tao
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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