A device for the detection of gamma rays used primarily in a PET scanner is based on a scintillator heterostructure combining the high stopping power of scintillators commonly used in PET scanners (such as L(Y)SO, BGO, etc.) and very fast scintillators based on polymers loaded with fast emitting dyes or nanocrystals, or thin layers of nanocrystals or multiple quantum well structures. The particular arrangement of this detector module allows combining all the important features of a high-performance Time-of-Flight PET (TOFPET) detector module, i.e., a high photoelectric detection efficiency for the gamma rays, a precise 3D information (including the depth of interaction DOI) of the gamma ray conversion in the module, and good energy resolution.

An instrument and software methodology to detect a radioactive source and incorporates the following: 1) two radiation detectors in a co-axial configuration, housed in a handheld probe, and 2) a gamma detection control unit executing software algorithms to limit the functional field of view to the front aspect of the probe, vary the depth and width of the field of view to provide collimation without the use of metallic shielding, and allowing the instrument to measure the distance to the radiation source.

A method for determining position and energy in scintillation detectors includes determining a photoconversion energy and a photoconversion position of particles triggering scintillation events, in an iteration-free manner, calculated from a distribution of scintillation light released by one or more of the scintillation events. The distribution of scintillation light is scanned by a photodetector.

The disclosure relates to a system and method for evaluating and calibrating detector in a scanner, further evaluating and calibrating time information detected by at least one time-to-digital convertor.

Provided are a contrast agent for optical imaging, a use thereof and an apparatus using the same. The contrast agent for optical imaging of the present disclosure allows optical imaging without requiring a fluorophore or a luminophore. As a result, the optical images can be acquired without changing the physicochemical properties of a substrate. The contrast agent for optical imaging of the present disclosure may be used as an optical/nuclear bimodal imaging contrast agent for many applications, and allows radiation therapy as well as monitoring of a therapeutic effect thereof through optical imaging at the same time. Further, when a fluorophore is attached thereto, light emission may be enhanced without energy input from outside since light is emitted from the fluorophore, thereby increasing luminescence intensity and improving tissue penetration.

Provided are a contrast agent for optical imaging, a use thereof and an apparatus using the same. The contrast agent for optical imaging of the present disclosure allows optical imaging without requiring a fluorophore or a luminophore. As a result, the optical images can be acquired without changing the physicochemical properties of a substrate. The contrast agent for optical imaging of the present disclosure may be used as an optical/nuclear bimodal imaging contrast agent for many applications, and allows radiation therapy as well as monitoring of a therapeutic effect thereof through optical imaging at the same time. Further, when a fluorophore is attached thereto, light emission may be enhanced without energy input from outside since light is emitted from the fluorophore, thereby increasing luminescence intensity and improving tissue penetration.

The present disclosure relates to a radiation sensor. In one implementation, the sensor may include a radiation detector array having a plurality of pixels; at least two readout connectors having a plurality of contacts, each readout connector being configured for receiving a readout module; a routing circuit having conductors configured for routing electrical signals from each of the plurality of pixels to a corresponding contact of one of the readout connectors. The plurality of pixels is grouped in two or more groups of pixels, at least two pixels of a first group of pixels being separated by at least one pixel from another group of pixels. The routing circuit is configured for leading pixels of the first group of pixels to a first readout connector, and pixels from the other group of pixels to a second readout connector.

A method for scintillation event localization in a radiation particle detector comprises the steps of providing a plurality of scintillator element locations (2′) configured to emit a burst of photons responsive to a radiation particle being absorbed at the scintillator element location (2′) and detecting a burst of photons emitted by a scintillator element location (2′) with a photosensor (5), wherein the photosensor (5) comprises an array of single photon avalanche diodes configured to break down responsive to impingement of a photon. Breakdown data (30) is acquired indicative of which of the single photon avalanche diodes are in breakdown and predetermined photosensor sensitivity data (20, 40) is provided, which assign single photon avalanche diodes to groups, wherein each group is assigned to exactly one scintillator element location (2′). Finally the number of single photon avalanche diodes in breakdown is determined for each group individually to identify the scintillator element location (2′) that emitted the burst of photons.

A radiation diagnostic device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first detector, a second detector, and processing circuitry. The first detector detects Cherenkov light that is generated when radiation passes. The second detector is disposed to be opposed to the first detector on a side distant from a generation source of the radiation, and detects energy information of the radiation. The processing circuitry specifies Compton scattering events detected by the second detector, and determines an event corresponding to an incident channel among the specified Compton scattering events based on a detection result obtained by the first detector.

A PET apparatus and a timing correction method of this invention select two target gamma-ray detectors which count coincidences, select a reference detector which is one detector out of the two selected gamma-ray detectors, select a gamma-ray detector different from the other, opposite detector, and when repeating the selection, make a time lag histogram concerning two gamma-ray detectors selected in the past a reference, and correct a time lag histogram concerning gamma-ray detectors selected this time based on the reference. By repeating an operation to make the corrected time lag histogram concerning the two gamma-ray detectors a new reference, an optimal time lag histogram can be obtained without repeating many measurements and computations.