The ClearPEM breast imaging scanner

We present results on the characterization of the ClearPEM breast imaging scanner. ClearPEM is a dual-head positron emission mammography scanner using APD-based detector modules that are capable of measuring the depth-of-interaction (DOI) with a resolution of 2 mm in LYSO:Ce crystals. The full system comprises 192 detector modules with a total of 6144 LYSO:Ce crystals and 384 32-pixel APD arrays read Out by ASICs with 192 input channels. The scanner includes front-end and data acquisition electronics and a robotic gantry for detector placement and rotation. The software implements calibration (energy, time and DOI), normalization and image reconstruction algorithms. In this conference, the scanner main technical characteristics, the calibration strategies and the spectrometric performance in clinical environment were presented as well as the images obtained with point sources and with a microDerenzo phantom. The image resolution was found to be of the order of 1.3 mm FWHM (center of field-of-view) and the DOI capability has shown to have a strong impact on the image sharpness. An assessment of the first clinical experience was also presented at the conference. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.