A practical block detector for a depth-encoding PET camera

The depth-of-interaction effect in block detectors degrades the image resolution in commercial PET cameras and impedes the natural evolution of smaller, less expensive cameras. A method for correcting the measured position of each detected gamma ray by measuring its depth-of-interaction was tested and found to recover 38% of the lost resolution at 7.5 cm radius in a tabletop, 50-cm-diameter camera. To obtain the desired depth sensitivity, standard commercial detectors were modified by a simple and practical process that is suitable for mass production of the detectors. The impact of the detector modifications on central image resolution and on the ability of the camera to correct for object scatter were also measured