Physical and Clinical Assessment of Recent Advances in Positron Emission Tomography.

Positron Emission Tomography has experienced several advances in the last decade. This thesis assesses the recent developments in PET scanners: New, fast scintillators, higher resolution detectors, fully 3D imaging and increased sensitivity, iterative reconstruction algorithms with implementation of point spread function modelling and time-of-flight. The physical performance characteristics of three multi-ring and one panel based configuration were quantified using phantom experiments. The clinical impact of increased sensitivity was explored. Figures of merit to assess image quality were established and a method to optimise reconstruction algorithms for signal-to-noise was developed and applied. The improvements of implementing point spread function modelling into image reconstruction were investigated and quantified. The implementation of time-of-flight in addition to point-spread-fiinction modelling was explored in substantial detail and compared. Experimental results were obtained and the clinical impact of time-of-flight was assessed. In a final investigation, the panel based PET scanner design was successfully applied in veterinary medicine