Optimization of positronium imaging performance of a simulated modular J-PET scanner using GATE software

Recently, a novel PET imaging method - positronium imaging - has been proposed to take advantage of previously unused information about the positronium states. The first ex-vivo and in-vivo images of positronium characteristics were acquired with the J-PET tomograph. Complementary to the standard annihilation photon’s detection, positronium imaging also requires the registration of the prompt photon, which follows β+ decay. To that end, the introduction of an additional energy threshold for prompt γ registration and optimization of the energy window for annihilation γ are required. This simulation-based work undertook the mentioned task in the case of the modular J-PET scanner. Based on the 44Sc radioisotope, the energy window for annihilation photons was established to 0.2 MeV - 0.37 MeV, while the threshold for prompt gamma was fixed at 0.37 MeV, closely following the end of the energy window for annihilation photons.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MEiN, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2022-2023).