COMPET: High resolution high sensitivity MRI compatible pre-clinical PET scanner

COMPET is a pre-clinical MRI compatible PET scanner which decouples sensitivity and resolution by the use of a novel detector design. The detector has been built using 8 x 8 cm(2) square layers consisting of 30 LYSO crystals (2 x 3 x 80 mm(2)) interleaved with 24 Wavelength Shifting Fibers (WLS) (3 x 1 x 80 mm(3)). By stacking several layers into a module, the point-of-interaction (POI) can be measured in 3D. Four layers form a PET ring where the sensitivity can be increased by stacking several layers. The layers can be stacked so that no inter-crystal or inter-module gap is formed. COMPET has used four assembled layers for module and scanner characterization. The modules are connected to the COMPET data-acquisition chain and the reconstructed images are produced with the novel geometry-independent COMPET image reconstruction algorithm. Time and energy resolution have been resolved and found to be around 4 as and 14% respectively. Tests for MRI interference and count rate performance have been carried out The reconstruction algorithm has been verified with data acquired by means of a COMPET full ring PET scanner.