Design and construction of the ClearPET*/XPAD small animal PET/CT scanner
Résumé
In this study, we present a small animal hybrid PET/CT scanner for simultaneous X and gamma ray scans of the same field of view. It is based on the high resolution PET scanner demonstrator ClearPET developed within the Crystal Clear Collaboration and on the prototype X-ray hybrid pixel detector XPAD3 developed at CPPM. The complete hybrid system has been studied using the GATE Monte Carlo simulation platform. The final design includes the PET detectors appropriately shielded, the XPAD3 detector and a collimated RTW X-ray tube. First, we present experimental measurements that demonstrate the feasibility of acquiring PET data in presence of an X-ray beam scattered by a water phantom hosting a positron emitter point source. Then, we present first images of simultaneous PET and CT acquisitions of several phantoms and a mouse.