Application of Timepix3 based CdTe spectral sensitive photon counting detector for PET imaging

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine functional imaging technique. It is used in clinical oncology (medical imaging of tumors and the search for metastases), and pre-clinical studies using animals. PET uses small amounts of radioactive materials (radiotracers) and a special photon sensitive camera. Most of these cameras use scintillators with photomultipliers as detectors. However, these detectors have limited energy sensitivity and large pixels. Therefore, the false signal caused by a scattering poses a significant problem. In this work we study properties of position, energy and time sensitive semiconductor detector of Timepix3 type and its applicability for PET measurements. This work presents an initial study and evaluation of two Timepix3 detectors with 2 mm thick CdTe sensors used in simplified geometry for PET imaging. The study is performed on 2 samples - a capillary tube and a cylindrical plexiglass phantom with cavities. Both samples are filled with fluodeoxyglucose (FDG) solution that is used as a radiotracer. The Timepix3 offers better properties compared to conventional detectors - high granularity (55 μm pixel pitch), good energy resolution (1 keV at 60 keV) and sufficient time resolution (1.6 ns). The spectral sensitivity of Timepix3 together with coincidence/anticoincidence technique allows for significant reduction of background signal caused by Compton scattering and internal X-ray fluorescence of Cd and Te.