Analytical study of performance of high resolution positron emission computer tomographs for animal study

Performance of positron emission computed tomographs having spatial resolution as high as 3 mm FWHM was analytically evaluated. Increases in widths of line spread functions due to positron range and angular deviation were estimated. The slice thickness should be thin in accordance with the resolution in transverse axial plane. Singles rate, true coincidence rate, and scattered coincidence rate with high resolution tomographs of small diameter detector rings were estimated for three types of thin slice collimators. Feasibility of high resolution positron tomographs with small detector rings is discussed with applications to animal study