Using xenon-doped liquid argon scintillation for total-body, TOF-PET

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is used to observe metabolic processes within patients. It works by reconstructing the annihilation origin of incident gamma rays produced by a positron emitting tracer. However, current PET scanners possess a small field of view which limits the sensitivity. Increasing the sensitivity and using Time of Flight (TOF) information can help to improve the quality of PET scans. We propose 3Dπ: Total-Body, TOF-PET scanner using Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) coupled with a Xenon-doped Liquid Argon (LAr+Xe) scintillator. We simulated this design using Geant4 while following the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s evaluation tests (2018) for performance assessment. We will present results that highlight a 20-fold increase in sensitivity, spatial resolutions comparable to commercial PET scanners, performance based on the Noise Equivalent Count Rate metric and produce PET images from 35 second scans, faster than traditional non-full-body scans. Further studies will involve optimizing the design of the scanner, understanding the noise produced by the detector and developing hardware prototype tests. With the LAr+Xe scintillator and SiPMs of 3Dπ, we can use the precise TOF info of gamma rays to improve the localization of individual positron annihilations. Through TOF-PET one can use it to provide low-dose PET scans for patients who may be at high risk for exposure to radiation.