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The AX-PET project

What was achieved ?What’s left to be done ?Are there ideas for a continuation ? Practicalities concerning the completion of a project

Valencia, 23 November 2012

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2.2 Project of this Collaborative Research Agreement Subject of this agreement is to collaboratively develop, construct and test a 3D axial PET demonstrator. The demonstrator will consist of two identical detector modules…. Based on this information the image of the phantom will be reconstructed using standard and dedicated reconstruction methods. The results from the demonstrator will be used to validate a mathematical model of the scanner, which is developed in parallel.

The project can be divided into several phases:Phase 1: • purchase and characterize crystals, photo-detectors and wavelength shifting strips• design and prototype the module and scanner mechanics• design and prototype the readout electronics• develop simulation and reconstruction softwarePhase 2: • assemble and test the scanner modules• connect and test the FE and DAQ electronics• adapt the DAQ software to demonstrator geometry• assemble and test the scannerPhase 3:• iterate on all aspects of the scanner taking into account the experience of phase 2 • finalize mechanics, electronics and software• assemble the two modules on a gantryPhase 4:• measurements with a phantom• demonstrate the final performance using the validated simulation set-up

From our collaboration agreement …

All this was done or is under way

What was achieved ?

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In addition …

• We successfully measured a mouse and 2 rats

• AX-PET stimulated and inspired further developments, e.g. COMPET in Oslo, R&D in Tampere, scintillator studies in Winnipeg, …

• We published numerous articles on hardware, software and results.

• We managed to get many talks at instrumentation conferences and also some in more medically oriented sessions. We were invited to give quite a few presentations at seminars, made it into the CERN bulletin, the ETH journal, the CERN technology transfer brochure, … AX-PET and the axial principle is known in the community.

• AX-PET provided an interesting work environment for students and post-docs.

• We investigated the use of Digital SiPMs and the extension of the axial concept by TOF. This allowed us building up a rather pleasant collaboration with the Philips DPC group.

• We are looking at more advanced RO electronics (speed, compactness)

• We are looking in the option of dual sided readout without WLS strips

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What’s left to be done ?

Finalize, conclude and publish• Software paper• Small animal results paper• Simulation results paper • TOF extension paper• Dual RO without WLS. Still unclear whether this will become a paper.

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Are there ideas for a continuation ?

Is there a case for a further measurement campaign?

• Not obvious at this moment, but perhaps a bit too early to give a definite answer.• The AX-PET demonstrator isn’t single push-button deice. The process from setting up the

hardware to the final image is complex. We rely on the combined expertise of a handful of experts. We will not be able to maintain this state for a long time.

Is there justified hope that one of the established PET companies will jump on AX-PET as it is ?

• Personally, I think the chances are not too good.

What else then ?

• The collaboration with Philips on DSiPM hints at possible developments/applications, in which the axial concept could be a substantial advantage. Some teams may continue to work in this direction, however not as AX-PET collaboration.

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Practicalities concerning the completion of a project

What happens with the Common Fund.• Contribution 2013 ?• Re-distribution of remaining credit to collaborating institutes ? Which sharing ? What happens to the AX-PET demonstrator hardware ? • For how long do we leave it in operational state ? • Can institutes buy components from the collaboration ? To which price ?

To be discussed in the next AX-PET IB meeting

Assuming that we complete the AX-PET project in the first half of 2013 …

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Upcoming conferences

• Vienna Conference on Instrumentation (VCI), 11 - 15 February 2013. Abstract + Summary submitted by C. Joram.

If approved: talk about small animal results and TOF extension.

We should present the small animal results at an appropriate conference. And what about the simulation results ?

• ENIM 2013 ? Torino 26-28 May 2013. http://www.e-smi.eu/index.php?id=2504

• EANM'13 - Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, Lyon, October 19 - 23, 2013

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