Development of a prototype detector using APD-arrays coupled with pixelized Ce:GAGG scintillator for high resolution radiation imaging

A novel digital PET scanner based on Time over Threshold method is developed. The positron emission tomography (PET) is composed of 144channel Ce:Gd₃Al₂Ga₃O₁₂ (GAGG)-Avaranche photodiode (APD) detector arrays individually coupled with custom designed Time over Threshold (ToT) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to realize the high count rate and good spatial resolution. Such an imaging system provides a simple front-end circuit and flexible digital signal processing like multiplexing such as a pulse train method. The measured energy resolution of the detector system was 6.7% for the 511 keV peak, and 4.25 ns time resolution was measured with a single detector module. The measured spatial resolution for a point source was 1.37 mm FWHM for our initial data with a columnar ²²Na source.