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Author Tetrault, M.A.; Oliver, J.F.; Bergeron, M.; Lecomte, R.; Fontaine, R. doi  openurl
  Title Real Time Coincidence Detection Engine for High Count Rate Timestamp Based PET Type Journal Article
  Year 2010 Publication IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.  
  Volume 57 Issue 1 Pages 117-124  
  Keywords Coincidence detection; Positron Emission Tomography (PET)  
  Abstract Coincidence engines follow two main implementation flows: timestamp based systems and AND-gate based systems. The latter have been more widespread in recent years because of its lower cost and high efficiency. However, they are highly dependent on the selected electronic components, they have limited flexibility once assembled and they are customized to fit a specific scanner's geometry. Timestamp based systems are gathering more attention lately, especially with high channel count fully digital systems. These new systems must however cope with important singles count rates. One option is to record every detected event and postpone coincidence detection offline. For daily use systems, a real time engine is preferable because it dramatically reduces data volume and hence image preprocessing time and raw data management. This paper presents the timestamp based coincidence engine for the LabPET(TM), a small animal PET scanner with up to 4608 individual readout avalanche photodiode channels. The engine can handle up to 100 million single events per second and has extensive flexibility because it resides in programmable logic devices. It can be adapted for any detector geometry or channel count, can be ported to newer, faster programmable devices and can have extra modules added to take advantage of scanner-specific features. Finally, the user can select between full processing mode for imaging protocols and minimum processing mode to study different approaches for coincidence detection with offline software.  
  Address [Tetrault, M. -A.; Fontaine, R.] Univ Sherbrooke, Dept Elect & Comp Engn, Sherbrooke, PQ J1K 2R1, Canada, Email: Marc-Andre.Tetrault@USherbrooke.ca  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Ieee-Inst Electrical Electronics Engineers Inc Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0018-9499 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes ISI:000274391000016 Approved no  
  Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes  
  Call Number IFIC @ elepoucu @ Serial 500  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Oliver, J.F.; Fuster-Garcia, E.; Cabello, J.; Tortajada, S.; Rafecas, M. doi  openurl
  Title Application of Artificial Neural Network for Reducing Random Coincidences in PET Type Journal Article
  Year 2013 Publication IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.  
  Volume 60 Issue 5 Pages 3399-3409  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is based on the detection in coincidence of the two photons created in a positron annihilation. In conventional PET, this coincidence identification is usually carried out through a coincidence electronic unit. An accidental coincidence occurs when two photons arising from different annihilations are classified as a coincidence. Accidental coincidences are one of the main sources of image degradation in PET. Some novel systems allow coincidences to be selected post-acquisition in software, or in real time through a digital coincidence engine in an FPGA. These approaches provide the user with extra flexibility in the sorting process and allow the application of alternative coincidence sorting procedures. In this work a novel sorting procedure based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques has been developed. It has been compared to a conventional coincidence sorting algorithm based on a time coincidence window. The data have been obtained from Monte-Carlo simulations. A small animal PET scanner has been implemented to this end. The efficiency (the ratio of correct identifications) can be selected for both methods. In one case by changing the actual value of the coincidence window used, and in the other by changing a threshold at the output of the neural network. At matched efficiencies, the ANN-based method always produces a sorted output with a smaller random fraction. In addition, two differential trends are found: the conventional method presents a maximum achievable efficiency, while the ANN-based method is able to increase the efficiency up to unity, the ideal value, at the cost of increasing the random fraction. Images reconstructed using ANN sorted data (no compensation for randoms) present better contrast, and those image features which are more affected by randoms are enhanced. For the image quality phantom used in the paper, the ANN method decreases the spill-over ratio by a factor of 18%.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0018-9499 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes WOS:000325827200027 Approved no  
  Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes  
  Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1611  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Oliver, J.F.; Rafecas, M. doi  openurl
  Title Improving the singles rate method for modeling accidental coincidences in high-resolution PET Type Journal Article
  Year 2010 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.  
  Volume 55 Issue 22 Pages 6951-6971  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Random coincidences ('randoms') are one of the main sources of image degradation in PET imaging. In order to correct for this effect, an accurate method to estimate the contribution of random events is necessary. This aspect becomes especially relevant for high-resolution PET scanners where the highest image quality is sought and accurate quantitative analysis is undertaken. One common approach to estimate randoms is the so-called singles rate method (SR) widely used because of its good statistical properties. SR is based on the measurement of the singles rate in each detector element. However, recent studies suggest that SR systematically overestimates the correct random rate. This overestimation can be particularly marked for low energy thresholds, below 250 keV used in some applications and could entail a significant image degradation. In this work, we investigate the performance of SR as a function of the activity, geometry of the source and energy acceptance window used. We also investigate the performance of an alternative method, which we call 'singles trues' (ST) that improves SR by properly modeling the presence of true coincidences in the sample. Nevertheless, in any real data acquisition the knowledge of which singles are members of a true coincidence is lost. Therefore, we propose an iterative method, STi, that provides an estimation based on ST but which only requires the knowledge of measurable quantities: prompts and singles. Due to inter-crystal scatter, for wide energy windows ST only partially corrects SR overestimations. While SR deviations are in the range 86-300% (depending on the source geometry), the ST deviations are systematically smaller and contained in the range 4-60%. STi fails to reproduce the ST results, although for not too high activities the deviation with respect to ST is only a few percent. For conventional energy windows, i.e. those without inter-crystal scatter, the ST method corrects the SR overestimations, and deviations from the true random rate are of the order of 1% or less. In addition, in the case of conventional energy window STi results reproduce ST results and therefore the former can be used to obtain the true random rate.  
  Address [Oliver, Josep F.; Rafecas, Magdalena] Univ Valencia, CSIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, IFIC, E-46003 Valencia, Spain, Email: josep.f.oliver@uv.es  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0031-9155 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes ISI:000283789700025 Approved no  
  Is ISI yes International Collaboration no  
  Call Number IFIC @ elepoucu @ Serial 344  
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Author Gillam, J.E.; Solevi, P.; Oliver, J.F.; Rafecas, M. doi  openurl
  Title Simulated one-pass list-mode: an approach to on-the-fly system matrix calculation Type Journal Article
  Year 2013 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.  
  Volume 58 Issue 7 Pages 2377-2394  
  Keywords  
  Abstract In the development of prototype systems for positron emission tomography a valid and robust image reconstruction algorithm is required. However, prototypes often employ novel detector and system geometries which may change rapidly under optimization. In addition, developing systems generally produce highly granular, or possibly continuous detection domains which require some level of on-the-fly calculation for retention of measurement precision. In this investigation a new method of on-the-fly system matrix calculation is proposed that provides advantages in application to such list-mode systems in terms of flexibility in system modeling. The new method is easily adaptable to complicated system geometries and available computational resources. Detection uncertainty models are used as random number generators to produce ensembles of possible photon trajectories at image reconstruction time for each datum in the measurement list. However, the result of this approach is that the system matrix elements change at each iteration in a non-repetitive manner. The resulting algorithm is considered the simulation of a one-pass list (SOPL) which is generated and the list traversed during image reconstruction. SOPL alters the system matrix in use at each iteration and so behavior within the maximum likelihood-expectation maximization algorithm was investigated. A two-pixel system and a small two dimensional imaging model are used to illustrate the process and quantify aspects of the algorithm. The two-dimensional imaging system showed that, while incurring a penalty in image resolution, in comparison to a non-random equal-computation counterpart, SOPL provides much enhanced noise properties. In addition, enhancement in system matrix quality is straightforward (by increasing the number of samples in the ensemble) so that the resolution penalty can be recovered when desired while retaining improvement in noise properties. Finally the approach is tested and validated against a standard (highly accurate) system matrix using experimental data from a prototype system-the AX-PET.  
  Address [Gillam, J. E.; Solevi, P.; Oliver, J. F.; Rafecas, M.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, IFIC, Inst Fis Corpuscular, Valencia, Spain, Email: john.gillam@ific.uv.es  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0031-9155 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes WOS:000316181300024 Approved no  
  Is ISI yes International Collaboration no  
  Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1370  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Solevi, P. et al; Oliver, J.F.; Gillam, J.E.; Rafecas, M. doi  openurl
  Title A Monte-Carlo based model of the AX-PET demonstrator and its experimental validation Type Journal Article
  Year 2013 Publication Physics in Medicine and Biology Abbreviated Journal Phys. Med. Biol.  
  Volume 58 Issue 16 Pages 5495-5510  
  Keywords  
  Abstract AX-PET is a novel PET detector based on axially oriented crystals and orthogonal wavelength shifter (WLS) strips, both individually read out by silicon photo-multipliers. Its design decouples sensitivity and spatial resolution, by reducing the parallax error due to the layered arrangement of the crystals. Additionally the granularity of AX-PET enhances the capability to track photons within the detector yielding a large fraction of inter-crystal scatter events. These events, if properly processed, can be included in the reconstruction stage further increasing the sensitivity. Its unique features require dedicated Monte-Carlo simulations, enabling the development of the device, interpreting data and allowing the development of reconstruction codes. At the same time the non-conventional design of AX-PET poses several challenges to the simulation and modeling tasks, mostly related to the light transport and distribution within the crystals and WLS strips, as well as the electronics readout. In this work we present a hybrid simulation tool based on an analytical model and a Monte-Carlo based description of the AX-PET demonstrator. It was extensively validated against experimental data, providing excellent agreement.  
  Address [Solevi, P.; Oliver, J. F.; Gillam, J. E.; Rafecas, M.] Univ Valencia, CSIC, IFIC, E-46071 Valencia, Spain, Email: paola.solevi@ific.uv.es  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN (up) 0031-9155 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes WOS:000322775300012 Approved no  
  Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes  
  Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1544  
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