Software development and simulations for the J-PET tomography device

The aim of the thesis can be divided in two parts. The first objective was to develop the set ofsoftware tools for steering and data visualization. Those programs are used in the laboratorytests of the J-PET tomography prototype being constructed at the Jagiellonian UniversityCracow, Poland. The following applications have been written: Ungrounder, Stepper andPrzegladacz. Ungrounder is a program, which automatically monitors status of the channelsof the oscilloscope Lecroy SDA6000A and set it back to working state if needed. This modulehas been used in Stepper application, which is responsible for the remote managementof the oscilloscope. Stepper automatize the procedure of measurements. The user simplypasses configuration parameters and on the basis of these parameters, the measurement ismade. The performance of the measurement consists of connecting to the J-PET databasein order to verify that all of the parameters are correct, updated data in database, movingthe stepper motor. After each step the data from the oscilloscope is compressed and send tothe local computer over Internet. Przegladacz is an application, which allows to visualizedata carried out by the Stepper and generate corresponding graphs from the measurement.Its interface is fully graphical, which makes it easy to use for data analysis. The secondaim of this work is to determine the intrinsic inaccuracy of the Positron Emission Tomographyimage reconstruction due to non-zero kinematic energy of the positron emitted fromradiopharmaceutical via beta+ decay. The positron annihilate with one of the electron frompatients body producing pairs of quantum of gamma, which is then registered by the PET scanner.Because of the positrons movement, the annihilation occurs at some distance from the pointof emission of the positron. In order to test this effect a program for MC simulations hasbeen developed. Simulation is based on determination of the distance between the gamma quanta,that arise as a result of annihilation, and the point of the generation of the positron. Allprograms are written in C++, fully object-oriented and configurable.The aim of the thesis can be divided in two parts. The first objective was to develop the set ofsoftware tools for steering and data visualization. Those programs are used in the laboratorytests of the J-PET tomography prototype being constructed at the Jagiellonian UniversityCracow, Poland. The following applications have been written: Ungrounder, Stepper andPrzegladacz. Ungrounder is a program, which automatically monitors status of the channelsof the oscilloscope Lecroy SDA6000A and set it back to working state if needed. This modulehas been used in Stepper application, which is responsible for the remote managementof the oscilloscope. Stepper automatize the procedure of measurements. The user simplypasses configuration parameters and on the basis of these parameters, the measurement ismade. The performance of the measurement consists of connecting to the J-PET databasein order to verify that all of the parameters are correct, updated data in database, movingthe stepper motor. After each step the data from the oscilloscope is compressed and send tothe local computer over Internet. Przegladacz is an application, which allows to visualizedata carried out by the Stepper and generate corresponding graphs from the measurement.Its interface is fully graphical, which makes it easy to use for data analysis. The secondaim of this work is to determine the intrinsic inaccuracy of the Positron Emission Tomographyimage reconstruction due to non-zero kinematic energy of the positron emitted fromradiopharmaceutical via beta+ decay. The positron annihilate with one of the electron frompatients body producing pairs of quantum of gamma, which is then registered by the PET scanner.Because of the positrons movement, the annihilation occurs at some distance from the pointof emission of the positron. In order to test this effect a program for MC simulations hasbeen developed. Simulation is based on determination of the distance between the gamma quanta,that arise as a result of annihilation, and the point of the generation of the positron. Allprograms are written in C++, fully object-oriented and configurable