First Positronium Imaging Using 44Sc With the J-PET Scanner: a Case Study on the NEMA-Image Quality Phantom
Manish Das, Sushil Sharma, Ermias Yitayew Beyene, Aleksander Bilewicz, Jarosław Choiński, Neha Chug, Catalina Curceanu, Eryk Czerwiński, Kavya Valsan Eliyan, Jakub Hajduga, Sharareh Jalali, Krzysztof Kacprzak, Tevfik Kaplanoglu, Łukasz Kapłon, Kamila Kasperska, Aleksander Khreptak, Grzegorz Korcyl, Tomasz Kozik, Karol Kubat, Deepak Kumar, Anoop Kunimmal Venadan, Edward Lisowski, Filip Lisowski, Justyna Medrala Sowa, Simbarashe Moyo, Wiktor Mryka, Szymon Niedźwiecki, Piyush Pandey, Szymon Parzych, Alessio Porcelli, Bartłomiej Rachwał, Elena Perez del Rio, Martin Rädler, Axel Rominger, Kuangyu Shi, Magdalena Skurzok, Anna Stolarz, Tomasz Szumlak, Pooja Tanty, Keyvan Tayefi Ardebili, Satyam Tiwari, Rafał Walczak, Ewa Ł. Stępień, Paweł Moskal
abstract
Positronium Lifetime Imaging (PLI), an emerging extension of conventional positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, offers a novel window for probing the submolecular properties of biological tissues by imaging the mean lifetime of the positronium atom. Currently, the method is under rapid development in terms of reconstruction and detection systems. Recently, the first in vivo PLI of the human brain was performed using the J-PET scanner utilizing the 68Ga isotope. However, this isotope has limitations due to its comparatively low prompt gamma yields, which is crucial for positronium lifetime measurement. Among alternative radionuclides, 44Sc stands out as a promising isotope for PLI, characterized by a clinically suitable half-life (4.04 hours) emitting 1157 keV prompt gamma in 100% cases after the emission of the positron. This study reports the first experimental demonstration of PLI with 44Sc, carried out on a NEMA-Image Quality (IQ) phantom using the Modular J-PET tomograph?the first plastic scintillators-based PET scanner.
Quality control of plastic scintillators for the total-body J-PET scanner
Ł. Kapłon, E. Beyene, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Das, K. Eliyan, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, G. Korcyl, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, G. Moskal, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Rio, S. Sharma, M. Skurzok, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi, A. Venadan, E. Stępień and P. Moskal
abstract
The construction of the total-body Jagiellonian positron emission tomography scanner requires component verification before detector assembly. The purpose of this research is to verify the quality of BC-408 plastic scintillators with dimensions 6 mm × 30 mm × 330 mm. The scintillators were inspected for optical and mechanical defects and all dimensions were measured. Scratches, mechanically damaged corners and edges, as well as encapsulated dust and fibers within the scintillators, were identified under ceiling lamp illumination. Line defects on the as-cast surfaces were easily visible in a plane polariscope setup consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical polarizer foils. The transmittance at the wavelength of maximum emission through 6 mm thick scintillator samples and the technical attenuation length along 330 mm long scintillator samples were measured on a linear CCD array spectrometer for randomly selected scintillators from each delivered batch. Selected properties of the emission spectra, such as their FWHM and the values of the emission maxima as a function of the distance between the excitation point and the spectrometer fiber, were measured. Additionally, the scintillators optical homogeneity was measured on a light transfer setup consisting of an LED and photodiode matrix. The majority of the obtained plastic scintillators meets the transparency criteria and falls within the dimensional tolerances.
muPPET: Investigating the Muon Puzzle with J-PET Detectors
A. Porcelli, K. Valsan Eliyan, G. Moskal, N. Nasrin Protiti, D. L. Sirghi, E. Yitayew Beyene, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Das, M. Gorgol, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, B. Jasińska, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, D. Kumar, K. Kubat, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, W. Mryka, S. Moyo, S. Niedźwiecki, S. Parzych, P. Pandey, E. Perez del Rio, B. Rachwał, M. Rädler, S. Sharma, M. Skurzok, E. Ł. Stępień, T. Szumlak, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Tiwari, and P. Moskal
abstract
The muPPET [muon Probe with J-PET] project aims to investigate the Muon
Puzzle seen in cosmic ray air showers. This puzzle arises from the observation of a significantly
larger number of muons on Earth's surface than that predicted by the current
theoretical models. The investigated hypothesis is based on recently observed asymmetries
in the parameters for the strong interaction cross-section and trajectory of an outgoing particle
due to projectile-target polarization. The measurements require detailed information
about muons at the ground level, including their track and charge distributions. To achieve
this, the two PET scanners developed at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland),
the J-PET detectors, will be employed, taking advantage of their well-known resolution
and convenient location for detecting muons that reach long depths in the atmosphere.
One station will be used as a muon tracker, while the second will reconstruct the core of
the air shower. In parallel, the existing hadronic interaction models will be modified and
fine-tuned based on the experimental results. In this work, we present the conceptualization
and preliminary designs of muPPET.
Positronium Imaging: History, Current Status, and Future Perspectives
Paweł Moskal, Aleksander Bilewicz, Manish Das, Bangyan Huang, Aleksander Khreptak, Szymon Parzych, Jinyi Qi, Axel Rominger, Robert Seifert, Sushil Sharma, Kuangyu Shi, William Steinberger, Rafał Walczak, Ewa Stępień
abstract
Positronium imaging was recently proposed to image the properties of positronium atoms in the patient body. Positronium properties depend on the size of intramolecular voids and oxygen concentration; therefore, they deliver information different and complementary to the anatomic, morphological, and metabolic images. Thus far, the mean ortho-positronium lifetime imaging has been at the center of research interest. The first ex vivo and in vivo positronium lifetime images of humans have been demonstrated with the dedicated J-PET scanner enabling simultaneous registration of annihilation photons and prompt gamma from beta+gamma emitters. Annihilation photons are used to reconstruct the annihilation place and time while prompt gamma is used to reconstruct the time of positronium formation. This review describes recent achievements in the translation of positronium imaging into clinics. The first measurements of positronium lifetime in humans with commercial PET scanners modernized to register triple coincidences are reported. The in vivo observations of differences in ortho-positronium lifetime between tumor and healthy tissues and between different oxygen concentrations are discussed. So far, the positronium lifetime measurements in humans were completed with clinically available 68Ga, 82Rb, and 124I radionuclides. Status and challenges in developing positronium imaging on a way to a clinically useful procedure are presented and discussed.
Nonmaximal entanglement of photons from positron-electron annihilation demonstrated using a novel plastic PET scanner
P. Moskal, D. Kumar, S. Sharma, E.Y. Beyene, N. Chug, A. Coussat, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwinski, M. Das, K. Dulski, M. Gorgol, B. Jasinska, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, L. Kaplon, T. Kozik, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, W. Mryka, S. Niedzwiecki, S. Parzych, E.P. del Rio, M. Radler, M. Skurzok, E. L. Stepien, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, K. Valsan Eliyan
abstract
In the state-of-the-art Positron Emission Tomography (PET), information about the polarization of annihilation photons is not available. Current PET systems track molecules labeled with positron-emitting radioisotopes by detecting the propagation direction of two photons from positron-electron annihilation. However, annihilation photons carry more information than just the site where they originated. Here we present a novel J-PET scanner built from plastic scintillators, in which annihilation photons interact predominantly via the Compton effect, providing information about photon polarization in addition to information on photon direction of propagation. Theoretically, photons from the decay of positronium in a vacuum are maximally entangled in polarization. However, in matter, when the positron from positronium annihilates with the electron bound to the atom, the question arises whether the photons from such annihilation are maximally entangled. In this work, we determine the distribution of the relative angle between polarization orientations of two photons from positron-electron annihilation in a porous polymer. Contrary to prior results for positron annihilation in aluminum and copper, where the strength of observed correlations is as expected for maximally entangled photons, our results show a significant deviation. We demonstrate that in porous polymer, photon polarization correlation is weaker than for maximally entangled photons but stronger than for separable photons. The data indicate that more than 40% of annihilations in Amberlite resin lead to a non-maximally entangled state. Our result indicates the degree of correlation depends on the annihilation mechanism and the molecular arrangement. We anticipate that the introduced Compton interaction-based PET system opens a promising perspective for exploring polarization correlations in PET as a novel diagnostic indicator.
Realistic total-body J-PET geometry optimization: Monte Carlo study
J. Baran, W. Krzemień, L. Raczyński, M. Bała, A. Coussat, S. Parzych, N. Chug, E. Czerwiński, C. Oana Curceanu, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K. Eliyan, J. Gajewski, A. Gajos, B. Hiesmayr, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, D. Kumar, S. Niedźwiecki, D. Panek, E. Perez del Rio, A. Ruciński, S. Sharma, Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, M. Skurzok, E. Stępień, F. Tayefiardebili, K. Tayefiardebili, W. Wiślicki, P. Moskal
abstract
Total-Body PET imaging is one of the most promising newly introduced modalities in the medical diagnostics. State-of-the-art PET scanners use inorganic scintillators such as L(Y)SO or BGO, however, those technologies are very expensive, prohibitng the broad total-body PET applications. We present the comparative studies of performance characteristics of the cost-effective Total-Body PET scanners using Jagiellonian PET (J-PET) technology that is based on plastic scintillators. Here, we investigated in silico five realistic Total-Body scanner geometries, varying the number of rings, scanner radius, and distance between the neighbouring rings. Monte Carlo simulations of two NEMA phantoms (2-meter sensitivity line source and image quality) and the anthropomorphic XCAT phantom, were used to assess the performance of the tested geometries. We compared the sensitivity profiles and we performed the quantitative analysis of the reconstructed images by using the quality metrics such as contrast recovery coefficient, background variability and root mean squared error. The optimal scanner design was selected for the first Total-Body J-PET scanner configuration.
Development of correction techniques for a J-PET scanner
M. Das, R. Bayerlein, S. Sharma, S. Parzych, S. Niedźwiecki, R. Badawi, E. Yitayew Beyene, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, K. Valsan Eliyan, B. Głowa, A. Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, K. Kasperska, G. Korcyl, A. Khreptak, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, M. Opalińska, P. Pandey, M. Rädler, M. Skurzok, A. Sowa-Staszczak, B. A. Spencer, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, A. Kunimmal Venadan, E. Stępień, P. Moskal
abstract
Objective: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a widely used medical imaging technique that allows for non-invasive imaging of metabolic processes. However, traditional PET scanners rely on costly inorganic scintillators, which limit their accessibility ? especially in light of emerging long axial field-of-view devices. The modular J-PET scanner, an innovative alternative, uses 50-cm long plastic scintillator strips, offering a cost-effective and modular solution. In this study, we develop and assess the PET data correction techniques required for quantitative image reconstruction. Methods: We present methods for attenuation correction, random coincidence correction using the Delayed Time Window (DTW) technique, and scatter correction based on Monte Carlo simulations. Phantom studies using the NEMA IQ phantom were performed to qualitatively evaluate these corrections. Results: The results demonstrate that our implemented corrections for attenuation, randoms, and scattered coincidences successfully improve the uniformity of tracer distribution in homogenous volumes and significantly reduce undesired activity in cold regions. Despite limitations in sensitivity and axial resolution, the applied correction techniques effectively enhance image quality, providing promising results for future applications. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of the modular J-PET system to offer affordable PET imaging and to pave the way towards a total-body PET scanner based on plastic scintillators. Future work will focus on quantitative validation and the implementation of these corrections for human subject imaging.
Positronium image of the human brain in vivo
P. Moskal, J. Baran, S. Bass, J. Choiński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, M. Das, K. Dulski, K.V. Eliyan, K. Fronczewska, A. Gajos, K. Kacprzak, M. Kajetanowicz, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, M. Kobylecka, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, J. Kunikowska, J. Mączewska, W. Migdał, G. Moskal, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, S. Parzych, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczyński, S. Sharma, Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, M. Silarski, M. Skurzok, F. Tayefi, K. Tayefi, P. Tanty, W. Wiślicki, L. Królicki, E. Ł. Stępień
abstract
Positronium is abundantly produced within the molecular voids of a patient?s body during positron emission tomography (PET). Its properties dynamically respond to the submolecular architecture of the tissue and the partial pressure of oxygen. Current PET systems record only two annihilation photons and cannot provide information about the positronium lifetime. This study presents the in vivo images of positronium lifetime in a human, for a patient with a glioblastoma brain tumor, by using the dedicated Jagiellonian PET system enabling simultaneous detection of annihilation photons and prompt gamma emitted by a radionuclide. The prompt gamma provides information on the time of positronium formation. The photons from positronium annihilation are used to reconstruct the place and time of its decay. In the presented case study, the determined positron and positronium lifetimes in glioblastoma cells are shorter than those in salivary glands and those in healthy brain tissues, indicating that positronium imaging could be used to diagnose disease in vivo.
Positronium lifetime validation measurements using a long-axial field-of-view positron emission tomography scanner
W. M. Steinberger, L. Mercolli, J. Breuer, H. Sari, S. Parzych, S. Niedzwiecki, G. Lapkiewicz, P. Moskal, E. Stepien, A. Rominger, K. Shi, M. Conti
abstract
Background: Positron emission tomography (PET) traditionally uses coincident
annihilation photons emitted from a positron interacting with an electron to localize
cancer within the body. The formation of positronium (Ps), a bonded electron-positron
pair, has not been utilized in clinical applications of PET due to the need to detect
either the emission of a prompt gamma ray or the decay of higher-order coincident
events. Assessment of the lifetime of the formed Ps, however, can potentially yield
additional diagnostic information of the surrounding tissue because Ps properties vary
due to void size and molecular composition. To assess the feasibility of measuring Ps
lifetimes with a PET scanner, experiments were performed in a Biograph Vision Quadra
(Siemens Healthineers). Quadra is a long-axial field-of-view (LA-FOV) PET scanner capable
of producing list-mode data from single interaction events.
Results: Ortho-Ps (o-Ps) lifetimes were measured for quartz-glass and polycarbonate
samples using a 22Na positron source. Results produced o-Ps lifetimes of 1.538 ? 0.036
ns for the quartz glass and 1.927 ? 0.042 ns for the polycarbonate. Both o-Ps lifetimes
were determined using a double-exponential fit to the time-difference distribution
between the emission of a prompt gamma ray and the annihilation of the correlated
positron. The measured values match within a single standard deviation of previously
published results. The quartz-glass samples were additional measured with 82Rb , 68 Ga
and 124I to validate the lifetime using clinically available sources. A double-exponential
fit was initially chosen as a similar methodology to previously published works, however,
an exponentially-modified Gaussian distribution fit to each lifetime more-accurately
models the data. A Bayesian method was used to estimate the variables of the fit
and o-Ps lifetime results are reported using this methodology for the three clinical
isotopes: 1.59 ? 0.03 ns for 82Rb , 1.58 ? 0.07 ns for 68Ga and 1.62 ? 0.01 ns for 124I . The
impact of scatter and attenuation on the o-Ps lifetime was also assessed by analyzing
a water-filled uniform cylinder (20 × 30 cm3 ) with an added 82Rb solution. Lifetimes
were extracted for various regions of the cylinder and while there is a shape difference
in the lifetime due to scatter, the extracted o-Ps lifetime of the water, 1.815 ? 0.013 ns,
agrees with previously published results.
Conclusion: Overall, the methodology presented in this manuscript demonstrates
the repeatability of Ps lifetime measurements with clinically available isotopes
in a commercially-available LA-FOV PET scanner. This validation work lays the foundation
for future in-vivo patient scans with Quadra.
Feasibility of the J-PET to monitor range oftherapeutic proton beams
J. Baran, D. Borys, K. Brzeziński, J. Gajewski, M. Silarski, N. Chug, A. Coussat, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K.V. Eliyan, A. Gajos, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, R. Kopeć, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, A.J. Lomax, K. McNamara, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Olko, D. Panek, S. Parzych, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczyński, M. Simbarashe, S. Sharma, Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, T. Skóra, M. Skurzok, P. Stasica, E.Ł. Stępień, K. Tayefi, F. Tayefi, D.C. Weber, C. Winterhalter, W. Wiślicki, P. Moskal, A. Ruciński
abstract
Objective: The aim of this work is to investigate the feasibility of the JagiellonianPositron Emission Tomography (J-PET) scanner for intra-treatment proton beamrange monitoring. Approach: The Monte Carlo simulation studies with GATE and PET imagereconstruction with CASToR were performed in order to compare six J-PET scannergeometries (three dual-heads and three cylindrical). We simulated proton irradiationof a PMMA phantom with a Single Pencil Beam (SPB) and Spread-Out BraggPeak (SOBP) of various ranges. The sensitivity and precision of each scanner werecalculated, and considering the setup?s cost-effectiveness, we indicated potentiallyoptimal geometries for the J-PET scanner prototype dedicated to the proton beamrange assessment. Main results: The investigations indicate that the double-layer cylindrical andtriple-layer double-head configurations are the most promising for clinical application.We found that the scanner sensitivity is of the order of 10?5coincidences per primaryproton, while the precision of the range assessment for both SPB and SOBP irradiationplans was found below 1 mm. Among the scanners with the same number of detectormodules, the best results are found for the triple-layer dual-head geometry. Significance: We performed simulation studies demonstrating that the feasibilityof the J-PET detector for PET-based proton beam therapy range monitoring ispossible with reasonable sensitivity and precision enabling its pre-clinical tests in theclinical proton therapy environment. Considering the sensitivity, precision and cost-effectiveness, the double-layer cylindrical and triple-layer dual-head J-PET geometryconfigurations seem promising for the future clinical application. Experimental testsare needed to confirm these findings.
Feasibility studies for imaging e+e- annihilation with modular multi-strip detectors
S. Sharma, L. Povolo, S. Mariazzi, G. Korcyl, K. Kacprzak, D. Kumar, S. Niedzwiecki, J. Baran, E. Beyene, R. S. Brusa, R. Caravita, N. Chug, A. Coussat, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwinski, M. Dadgar, M. Das, K. Dulski, K. Eliyan, A. Gajos, N. Gupta, B. C. Hiesmayr, L. Kaplon, T. Kaplanoglu, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, T. Kozik, M. K. Kozani, W. Krzemien, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, L. Penasa, S. Parzych, E. Perez Del Rio, L. Raczynski, R. Y. Shopa, M. Skurzok, E. L. Stepien, P. Tanty, F. Tayefi, K. Tayefi, W. Wislicki, P. Moskal
abstract
Studies based on imaging the annihilation of the electron (e-) and its antiparticle positron (e+) open up several interesting applications in nuclear medicine and fundamental research. The annihilation process involves both the direct conversion of ee into photons and the formation of their atomically bound state, the positronium atom (Ps), which can be used as a probe for fundamental studies. With the ability to produce large quantities of Ps, manipulate them in long-lived Ps states, and image their annihilations after a free fall or after passing through atomic interferometers, this purely leptonic antimatter system can be used to perform inertial sensing studies in view of a direct test of Einstein equivalence principle. It is envisioned that modular multistrip detectors can be exploited as potential detection units for this kind of studies. In this work, we report the results of the first feasibility study performed on a e beamline using two detection modules to evaluate their reconstruction performance and spatial resolution for imaging ee annihilations and thus their applicability for gravitational studies of Ps.
Discrete symmetries tested at 10^-4 precision using linear polarization of photons from positronium annihilations
P. Moskal, E. Czerwiński, J. Raj, S. D. Bass, E. Beyene, N. Chug, A. Coussat, C. Curceanu, M. Dadgar, M. Das, K. Dulski, A. Gajos, M. Gorgol, B. C. Hiesmayr, B. Jasińska, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Río, L. Raczyński, S. Sharma, S. Choudhary, R. Y. Shopa, M. Silarski, M. Skurzok, E. Ł. Stępień, P. Tanty, F. T. Ardebili, K. T. Ardebili, K. V. Eliyan, W. Wiślicki
abstract
Discrete symmetries play an important role in particle physics with violation of CP connected to the matter-antimatter imbalance in the Universe. We report the most precise test of P, T and CP invariance in decays of ortho-positronium, performed with methodology involving polarization of photons from these decays. Positronium, the simplest bound state of an electron and positron, is of recent interest with discrepancies reported between measured hyperfine energy structure and theory at the level of 10^-4 signaling a need for better understanding of the positronium system at this level. We test discrete symmetries using photon polarizations determined via Compton scattering in the dedicated J-PET tomograph on an event-by-event basis and without the need to control the spin of the positronium with an external magnetic field, in contrast to previous experiments. Our result is consistent with QED expectations at the level of 0.0007 and one standard deviation.
Exploration of simultaneous dual-isotope imaging with multi-photon modular J-PET scanner
Ermias Yitayew Beyene, Manish Das, Martyna Durak-Kozica, Grzegorz Korcyl, Wiktor Mryka, Szymon Niedźwiecki, Szymon Parzych, Keyvan Tayefi Ardebili, Rafał Walczak, Kamil Wawrowicz, Ewa Stępień, Paweł Moskal
abstract
The modular J-PET scanner, comprising 24 compact and versatile modules, each consisting of 13 plastic strips with four SiPM detectors at the ends, represents a powerful tool for clinical applications in nuclear medical imaging. This study presents preliminary results from the exploration of simultaneous dual-isotope imaging using the modular J-PET system. Our approach involved two isotopes: 68Ge, characterized by a ringlike shape, and 22Na, exhibiting a point-like shape. The imaging was based on double-coincidence and triple-coincidence events. In the double coincidence case, both isotopes contributed comparably, whereas in the triple coincidence case 22Na dominated due to the prompt gamma being emitted with 100% of positron emissions, unlike 68Ga, where the prompt gamma was emitted in only 1.3% of cases after positron emission. In this work we present direct 2? images determined for two-signal events and images for three-signal events, with two signals from annihilation photons and one from a prompt gamma. These results showcase the preliminary findings from simultaneous dual-isotope imaging of 68Ga and 22Na isotopes using the modular J-PET scanner, which will be presented and discussed.
Estimating the efficiency and purity for detecting annihilation and prompt photons for positronium imaging with J-PET using toy Monte Carlo simulation
M. Das, W. Mryka, E.Y. Beyene, S. Parzych, S. Sharma, E. Stępień, P. Moskal
abstract
The positronium imaging technique represents a potential enhancement of the PET imaging method. Its core principle involves employing a beta+ radiation source that emits additional gamma quanta referred to as prompt gamma. Our aim is to evaluate the capability to differentiate between annihilation and prompt gamma emissions, a vital aspect of positronium imaging. For this purpose, the selected isotopes should enable high efficiency and purity in detecting both prompt gamma and annihilation gamma. The assessment of the efficiency in identifying prompt and annihilation photons for various isotopes, which are potentially superior candidates for beta++ gamma emitters, is conducted through toy Monte-Carlo simulation utilizing the cross-section formula for photon-electron scattering. In this article, we have performed calculations for efficiency and purity values across different isotopes under ideal conditions and examined how these values evolve as we incorporate the fractional energy resolution into the analysis. Ultimately, the primary goal is to determine the energy threshold that optimizes both efficiency and purity, striking a balance between accurately identifying and recording events of interest while minimizing contamination from undesired events.
Optimization of positronium imaging performance of a simulated modular J-PET scanner using GATE software
S. Parzych
abstract
Comparative studies of the sensitivities of sparse and full geometries of Total-Body PET scanners built from crystals and plastic scintillators
M. Dadgar, S. Parzych, J. Baran, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, K. Dulski, K. Elyan, A. Gajos, B.C. Hiesmayr, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, S. Niedźwiecki, D. Panek, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczyński, S. Sharma, Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, M. Skurzok, E. L. Stępień, F. Tayefi Ardebili, K. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Vandenberghe, W. Wiślicki and P. Moskal
abstract
Background: Alongside the benefits of Total-Body imaging modalities, such as higher sensitivity, single-bed position, low dose imaging, etc., their final construction cost prevents worldwide utilization. The main aim of this study is to present a simulation-based comparison of the sensitivities of existing and currently developed tomographs to introduce a cost-efficient solution for
constructing a Total-Body PET scanner based on plastic scintillators.
Methods: For the case of this study, eight tomographs based on the uEXPLORER configuration with different scintillator materials (BGO, LYSO), axial field-of-view (97.4 cm and 194.8 cm), and detector configuration (full and sparse) were simulated. In addition, 8 J-PET scanners with different configurations, such as various axial field-of-view (200 cm and 250 cm), the different cross-sections of plastic scintillator, and the multiple numbers of the
plastic scintillator layers (2, 3, and 4), based on J-PET technology have been simulated by GATE software. Furthermore, Biograph Vision has been simulated to compare the results with standard PET scans. Two types of simulations have been performed. The first one with a centrally located source with a diameter of 1mm and a length of 250 cm, and the second one with the same source inside a water-filled cylindrical phantom with a diameter of 20 cm and a length of 183 cm.
Results: With regards to sensitivity, among all the proposed scanners, the ones constructed with BGO crystals give the best performance (? 350 cps/kBq at the center). The utilization of sparse geometry or LYSO crystals significantly lowers the achievable sensitivity of such systems. The J-PET design gives a similar sensitivity to the sparse LYSO crystal-based detectors while having full detector coverage over the body. Moreover, it provides uniform sensitivity over the body
with additional gain on its sides and provides the possibility for high-quality brain
imaging.
Conclusion: Taking into account not only the sensitivity but also the price of the Total-Body PET tomographs, which till now was one of the main obstacles in their widespread clinical availability, the J-PET tomography system based on plastic scintillators could be a cost-efficient alternative for Total-Body PET scanners.
Transformation of PET raw data into images for event classification using convolutional neural networks
P. Konieczka, L. Raczyński, W. Wiślicki, O. Fedoruk, K. Klimaszewski, P. Kopka, W. Krzemień, R.Y. Shopa, J. Baran, A. Coussat, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, A. Gajos, B.C. Hiesmayr, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, D. Kumar, S. Niedźwiecki, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Río, S. Sharma, S. Shivani, M. Skurzok, E.Ł. Stępień, F. Tayefi, P. Moskal
abstract
In positron emission tomography (PET) studies, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) may be applied directly to the reconstructed distribution of radioactive tracers injected into the patient's body, as a pattern recognition tool. Nonetheless, unprocessed PET coincidence data exist in tabular format. This paper develops the transformation of tabular data into -dimensional matrices, as a preparation stage for classification based on CNNs. This method explicitly introduces a nonlinear transformation at the feature engineering stage and then uses principal component analysis to create the images. We apply the proposed methodology to the classification of simulated PET coincidence events originating from NEMA IEC and anthropomorphic XCAT phantom. Comparative studies of neural network architectures, including multilayer perceptron and convolutional networks, were conducted. The developed method increased the initial number of features from 6 to 209 and gave the best precision results (79.8) for all tested neural network architectures; it also showed the smallest decrease when changing the test data to another phantom.
Detection of range shifts in proton beam therapy using the J-PET scanner: a patient simulation study
K. Brzeziński, J. Baran, D. Borys, J. Gajewski, N. Chug, A. Coussat, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K.V. Eliyan, A. Gajos, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, R. Kopeć, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, A.J. Lomax, K. McNamara, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Olko, D. Panek, S. Parzych, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczyński, S. Sharma, Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, T. Skóra, M. Skurzok, P. Stasica, E.Ł. Stępień, K. Tayefi, F. Tayefi, D.C. Weber, C. Winterhalter, W. Wiślicki, P. Moskal, A. Ruciński
abstract
Objective. The Jagiellonian positron emission tomography (J-PET) technology, based on plastic scintillators, has been proposed as a cost effective tool for detecting range deviations during proton therapy. This study investigates the feasibility of using J-PET for range monitoring by means of a detailed Monte Carlo simulation study of 95 patients who underwent proton therapy at the Cyclotron Centre Bronowice (CCB) in Krakow, Poland. Approach. Discrepancies between prescribed and delivered treatments were artificially introduced in the simulations by means of shifts in patient positioning and in the Hounsfield unit to the relative proton stopping power calibration curve. A dual-layer, cylindrical J-PET geometry was simulated in an in-room monitoring scenario and a triple-layer, dual-head geometry in an in-beam protocol. The distribution of range shifts in reconstructed PET activity was visualized in the beam's eye view. Linear prediction models were constructed from all patients in the cohort, using the mean shift in reconstructed PET activity as a predictor of the mean proton range deviation. Main results. Maps of deviations in the range of reconstructed PET distributions showed agreement with those of deviations in dose range in most patients. The linear prediction model showed a good fit, with coefficient of determination r2 = 0.84 (in-room) and 0.75 (in-beam). Residual standard error was below 1 mm: 0.33 mm (in-room) and 0.23 mm (in-beam). Significance. The precision of the proposed prediction models shows the sensitivity of the proposed J-PET scanners to shifts in proton range for a wide range of clinical treatment plans. Furthermore, it motivates the use of such models as a tool for predicting proton range deviations and opens up new prospects for investigations into the use of intra-treatment PET images for predicting clinical metrics that aid in the assessment of the quality of delivered treatment.
Comparative studies of plastic scintillator strips with high technical attenuation length for the total-body J-PET scanner
Ł. Kapłon, J. Baran, N. Chug, A. Coussat, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, J. Gajewski, A. Gajos, B. Hiesmayr, E. Kavya Valsan, K. Klimaszewski, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, G. Moskal, S. Niedźwiecki, D. Panek, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Rio, L. Raczyński, A. Ruciński, S. Sharma, S. Shivani, R. Shopa, M. Silarski, M. Skurzok, E. Stępień, F. Tayefi Ardebili, K. Tayefi Ardebili, W. Wiślicki, P. Moskal
abstract
Plastic scintillator strips are considered as one of the promising solutions for the cost-effective construction of total-body positron emission tomography, (PET) system. The purpose of the performed measurements is to compare the transparency of long plastic scintillators with dimensions 6 mm x 24 mm x 1000 mm and with all surfaces polished. Six different types of commercial, general purpose, blue-emitting plastic scintillators with low attenuation of visible light were tested, namely: polyvinyl toluene-based BC-408, EJ-200, RP-408, and polystyrene-based Epic, SP32 and UPS-923A. For determination of the best type of plastic scintillator for total-body Jagiellonian positron emission tomograph (TB-J-PET) construction, emission and transmission spectra, and technical attenuation length (TAL) of blue light-emitting by the scintillators were measured and compared. The TAL values were determined with the use of UV lamp as excitation source, and photodiode as light detector. Emission spectra of investigated scintillators have maxima in the range from 420 nm to 429 nm. The BC-408 and EJ-200 have the highest transmittance values of about 90% at the maximum emission wavelength measured through a 6 mm thick scintillator strip and the highest technical attenuation length reaching about 2000 mm, allowing assembly of long detection modules for time-of-flight (TOF) J-PET scanners. Influence of the 6 mm × 6 mm, 12 mm × 6 mm, 24 mm × 6 mm cross-sections of the 1000 mm long EJ-200 plastic scintillator on the TAL and signal intensity was measured. The highest TAL value was determined for samples with 24 mm × 6 mm cross-section.
Efficiency determination of J-PET: first plastic scintillators-based PET scanner
S. Sharma, J. Baran, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K. Eliyan, A. Gajos, N. Gupta-Sharma, B. C. Hiesmayr, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, Sz. Niedźwiecki, D. Panek, S. Parzych, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczyński, Shivani, R. Y. Shopa, M. Skurzok, E. Ł. Stępień, F. Tayefi, K. Tayefi , W. Wiślicki and P. Moskal
abstract
Background:
The Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomograph is the 3-layer prototype
of the first scanner based on plastic scintillators, consisting of 192 half-metre-long strips with readouts at both ends. Compared to crystal-based detectors, plastic scintillators
are several times cheaper and could be considered as a more economical alternative to crystal scintillators in future PETs. JPET is also a first multi-photon PET prototype. For the development of multi-photon detection, with photon characterized by the continuous energy spectrum, it is important to estimate the efficiency of J-PET as a function of energy deposition. The aim of this work is to determine the registration efficiency of the J-PET tomograph as a function of energy deposition by incident photons and the intrinsic efficiency of the J-PET scanner in detecting photons of different incident energies. In this study, 3-hit events are investigated, where 2-hits are caused by 511 keV
photons emitted in e+e- annihilations, while the third hit is caused by one of the scattered photons. The scattered photon is used to accurately measure the scattering angle and thus the energy deposition. Two hits by a primary and a scattered photon are sufficient to calculate the scattering angle of a photon, while the third hit ensures
the precise labeling of the 511 keV photons.
Results:
By comparing experimental and simulated energy distribution spectra, the registration efficiency of the J-PET scanner was determined in the energy deposition range of 70-270 keV, where it varies between 20 and 100%. In addition, the intrinsic efficiency of the J-PET was also determined as a function of the energy of the incident photons.
Conclusion:
A method for determining registration efficiency as a function of energy deposition and intrinsic efficiency as a function of incident photon energy of the J-PET scanner was demonstrated. This study is crucial for evaluating the performance of the scanner based on plastic scintillators and its applications as a standard and multi-photon PET systems. The method may be also used in the calibration of Compton-cameras developed for the ion-beam therapy monitoring and simultaneous multi-radionuclide imaging in nuclear medicine.
J-PET detection modules based on plastic scintillators for performing studies with positron and positronium beams
S. Sharma, J. Baran, R.S. Brusa, R. Caravita, N. Chug, A. Coussat, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwinski, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K. Eliyan, A. Gajos, B.C. Hiesmayr, K. Kacprzak, L. Kaplon, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemien D. Kumar, S. Mariazzi, S. Niedźwiecki, L. Panasa, S. Parzych, L. Povolo, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczynski Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, M. Skurzok, E.L. Stepien, F. Tayefi, K. Tayefi, W. Wislicki and P. Moskal
abstract
The J-PET detector, which consists of inexpensive plastic scintillators, has demonstrated its potential in the study of fundamental physics. In recent years, a prototype with 192 plastic scintillators arranged in 3 layers has been optimized for the study of positronium decays. This allows performing precision tests of discrete symmetries (C, P, T) in the decays of positronium atoms. Moreover, thanks to the possibility of measuring the polarization direction of the photon based on Compton scattering, the predicted entanglement between the linear polarization of annihilation photons in positronium decays can also be studied. Recently, a new J-PET prototype was commissioned, based on a modular design of detection units. Each module consists of 13 plastic scintillators and can be used as a stand-alone, compact and portable detection unit. In this paper, the main features of the J-PET detector, the modular prototype and their applications for possible studies with positron and positronium beams are discussed. Preliminary results of the first test experiment performed on two detection units in the continuous positron beam recently developed at the Antimatter Laboratory (AML) of Trento are also reported.
TOF MLEM Adaptation for the Total-Body J-PET with a Realistic Analytical System Response Matrix
R.Y. Shopa, J. Baran, K. Klimaszewski, W. Krzemień, L. Raczyński, W. Wiślicki, K. Brzeziński, N. Chug, A. Coussat, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, J. Gajewski, A. Gajos, B.C. Hiesmayr, E. Kavya Valsan, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, D. Kumar, Ł. Kapłon, G. Moskal, S. Niedźwiecki, D. Panek, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Rio, A. Ruciński, S. Sharma, Shivani, M. Silarski, M. Skurzok, E. Stepień, F. Tayefi Ardebili, K. Tayefi Ardebili, P. Moskal
abstract
We report a study of the original image reconstruction algorithm based on the time-of-flight maximum likelihood expectation maximisation (TOF MLEM), developed for the total-body (TB) Jagiellonian PET (J-PET) scanners. The method is applicable to generic cylindrical or modular multi-layer layouts and is extendable to multi-photon imaging. The system response matrix (SRM) is represented as a set of analytical functions, uniquely defined for each pair of plastic scintillator strips used for the detection. A realistic resolution model (RM) in detector space is derived from fitting the Monte Carlo simulated emissions and detections of annihilation photons on oblique transverse planes. Additional kernels embedded in SRM account for TOF, parallax effect and axial smearing. The algorithm was tested on datasets, simulated in GATE for the NEMA IEC and static XCAT phantoms inside a 24-module 2-layer TB J-PET. Compared to the reference TOF MLEM with none or a shift-invariant RM, an improvement was observed, as evaluated by the analysis of image quality, difference images and ground truth metrics. We also reconstructed the data with additive contributions, pre-filtered geometrically and with non-TOF scatter correction applied. Despite some deterioration, the obtained results still capitalise on the realistic RM with better edge preservation and superior ground truth metrics. The envisioned prospects of the TOF MLEM with analytical SRM include its application in multi-photon imaging and further upgrade to account for the non-collinearity, positron range and other factors.
Investigation of novel preclinical Total Body PET designed with J-PET technology: A simulation study
M. Dadgar, S. Parzych, F. Tayefi Ardebili, J. Baran, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, K. Dulski, K. Eliyan, A. Gajos, B.C. Hiesmayr, K. Kacprzak, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, S. Niedźwiecki, D. Panek, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczyński, S. Sharma, R.Y. Shopa, M. Skurzok, K. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Vandenberghe, W. Wiślicki, E.Ł. Stępień, P. Moskal
abstract
The growing interest in human-grade Total Body PET systems has also application in small animal research. Due to the existing limitations in human-based studies involving drug development and novel treatment monitoring, animalbased research became a necessary step for testing and protocol preparation. In this simulation-based study two unconventional, cost effective small animal Total Body PET scanners (for mouse and rat studies) have been investigated in order to inspect their feasibility for preclinical research. They were designed with the novel technology explored by the Jagiellonian PET Collaboration (J-PET). Two main PET characteristics: sensitivity and spatial resolution were mainly inspected to evaluate their performance. Moreover, the impact of the scintillator dimension and time-offlight on the latter parameter were examined in order to design the most efficient tomographs. The presented results show that for mouse TB J-PET the achievable system sensitivity is equal to 2.35% and volumetric spatial resolution to 9.46 +- 0.54 mm3, while for rat TB J-PET they are equal to 2.6% and 14.11 ? 0.80 mm3, respectively. Furthermore, it was shown that the designed tomographs are almost parallax-free systems, hence they resolve the problem of the acceptance criterion trade-off between enhancing spatial resolution and reducing sensitivity.
ProTheRaMon - a GATE simulation framework for proton therapy range monitoring using PET imaging
D. Borys, J. Baran, K.W. Brzezinski, J. Gajewski, N. Chug, A. Coussat, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K. Valsan Eliyan, A. Gajos, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, R. Kopec, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, A. John Lomax, K. McNamara, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Olko, D. Panek, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Río, L. Raczyński, S. Sharma, S. Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, T. Skóra, M. Skurzok, P. Stasica, E. Stępień, K. Tayefi Ardebili, F. Tayefi, D. Charles Weber, C. Winterhalter, W. Wiślicki, P. Moskal, A. Rucinski
abstract
Objective: This paper reports on the implementation and shows examples of the use of the ProTheRaMon framework for simulating the delivery of proton therapy treatment plans and range monitoring using positron emission tomography (PET). ProTheRaMon offers complete processing of proton therapy treatment plans, patient CT geometries, and intra-treatment PET imaging, taking into account therapy and imaging coordinate systems and activity decay during the PET imaging protocol specific to a given proton therapy facility. We present the ProTheRaMon framework and illustrate its potential use case and data processing steps for a patient treated at the Cyclotron Centre Bronowice (CCB) proton therapy center in Krakow, Poland. Approach: The ProTheRaMon framework is based on GATE Monte Carlo software, the CASToR reconstruction package and in-house developed Python and bash scripts. The framework consists of five separated simulation and data processing steps, that can be further optimized according to the user's needs and specific settings of a given proton therapy facility and PET scanner design. Main results: ProTheRaMon is presented using example data from a patient treated at CCB and the J-PET scanner to demonstrate the application of the framework for proton therapy range monitoring. The output of each simulation and data processing stage is described and visualized. Significance: We demonstrate that the ProTheRaMon simulation platform is a high-performance tool, capable of running on a computational cluster and suitable for multi-parameter studies, with databases consisting of large number of patients, as well as different PET scanner geometries and settings for range monitoring in a clinical environment. Due to its modular structure, the ProTheRaMon framework can be adjusted for different proton therapy centers and/or different PET detector geometries. It is available to the community via github.
Development of the Normalization Method for the Jagiellonian PET Scanner
A. Coussat, W. Krzemien, J. Baran, S. Parzych
abstract
This work aims at applying the theory of the component-based normalization to the Jagiellonian PET
scanner, currently under development at the Jagiellonian University. In any positron emission tomography acquisition, efficiency along a line-of-response can vary due to several physical and geometrical
effects, leading to severe artifacts in the reconstructed image. To mitigate these effects, a normalization
coefficient is applied to each line-of-response, defined as the product of several components. The specificity of the Jagiellonian PET scanner geometry is taken into account. The results obtained from the
GATE simulations are compared with the preliminary results obtained from the experimental data.
Testing CPT symmetry in ortho-positronium decays with positronium annihilation tomography
P. Moskal, A. Gajos, M. Mohammed, J. Chhokar, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, M. Gorgol, J. Goworek, B. Hiesmayr, B. Jasińska, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, H. Karimi, D. Kisielewska, K. Klimaszewski, G. Korcyl, P. Kowalski, N. Krawczyk, W. Krzemień, T. Kozik, E. Kubicz, S. Niedźwiecki, S. Parzych, M. Pawlik-Niedźwiecka, L. Raczyński, J. Raj, S. Sharma, S. Choudhary, R. Shopa, A. Sienkiewicz, M. Silarski, M. Skurzok, E. Stepien, F. Tayefi, W. Wiślicki
abstract
Charged lepton system symmetry under combined charge, parity, and time-reversal transformation (CPT) remain scarcely tested. Despite stringent quantum-electrodynamic limits, discrepancies in predictions for the electron-positron bound state (positronium atom) motivate further investigation, including fundamental symmetry tests. While CPT noninvariance effects could be manifested in non-vanishing angular correlations between final-state photons and spin of annihilating positronium, measurements were previously limited by the knowledge of the latter. Here, we demonstrate tomographic reconstruction techniques applied to three-photon annihilations of ortho-positronium atoms to estimate their spin polarisation without a magnetic field or polarised positronium source. We use a plastic-scintillator-based positron-emission-tomography scanner to record ortho-positronium (o-Ps) annihilations with a single-event estimation of o-Ps spin and determine the complete spectrum of an angular correlation operator sensitive to CPT-violating effects. We find no violation at the precision level of 10^{-4}, with an over threefold improvement on the previous measurement.
A Simulation Study to Estimate Optimum LOR Angular Acceptance for the Image Reconstruction with the Total-Body J-PET
M. Dadgar, S. Parzych and F. Tayefi Ardebili
abstract
One of the directions in today's development of PET scanners is to increase their axial field of view (AFOV). Currently limited to several centimeters, AFOV of the clinically available PET tomographs results in a very low sensitivity (~1%) and requires an extended time for a scan of a whole human body. While these drawbacks are addressed in the so-called, Total Body PET concept (scanner with a significantly elongated field of view), it creates new challenges not only in the mechanical construction but also in image reconstruction and event selection. The possibility of taking into account of large-angle variety of lines of responses (LORs) contributes positively to the sensitivity of the tomograph. However, at the same time, the most oblique LORs have an unfavorable influence on the spatial resolution due to the parallax error and large contribution to the scatter fraction. This forces to determine a new factor -acceptance angle - which is a maximum azimuthal angle for which the LORs are still taken into image reconstruction. Correct determination of such factors is imperative to maximize the performance of a Total Body PET system since it introduces a trade-off between the two main characteristics of scanners: sensitivity and spatial resolution.
This work has been dedicated to the estimation of the optimal acceptance angle for the proposed by the Jagiellonian PET (J-PET) Collaboration Total Body tomograph. J-PET Collaboration introduces a novel, cost-effective approach to PET systems development with the use of organic scintillators. This simulation study provides evidence that the 45-degree acceptance angle cut can be an appropriate choice for the investigated scanner.
Design, structure, microstructure and gamma radiation shielding properties of refractory concrete materials containing Ba- and Sr-doped cements
D. Madej , M. Silarski , S. Parzych
abstract
This paper presents an experimental study on the performance of shielding refractory concretes containing new types of cement for use in radiation protection technology. Three concretes with corundum aggregate and special refractory inorganic cements belonging to the CaO-Al2O3, SrO-CaO-Al2O3-ZrO2, SrO-Al2O3 and BaO-CaO-Al2O3-ZrO2 systems were tested. The products formed in the hydration of these binders were detected by SEM-EDS. The linear attenuation coefficients obtained from measurements with ? quanta emitted by the following sources: 22Na, 137Cs, 60Co, 133Ba and 152Eu in the range of 80-1408 keV were determined twice,
firstly after casting and drying (110 oC) of concretes, and secondly after sintering at 1400 oC. Especially, this work fills the gap in the literature providing the gamma rays attenuation properties of cement-containing heat resistant corundum concretes in the energy region between 779 keV and 1112 keV. The experimental setup equipped with the ORTEC GMX25P4-70 High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) cooled with liquid nitrogen was used for the determination of the gamma-ray linear attenuation coefficients of new materials. The role of the cement on the compressive and bending strengths, pore structure (mercury intrusion porosimetry), phase
composition (XRD, FT-IR), and microstructure (SEM-EDS) of heat-treated concretes was reported. It was found that the incorporation of Sr or Ba and Zr elements with cements improved the attenuation properties of corundum-based concretes, in comparison to the concretes containing Ca. The doping alkaline earth elements i.e. Sr and Ba were chemically bonded within both hydraulic matrix of green concretes and ceramic matrix formed in concrete through sintering at 1400 ?C. Hence, these materials with gamma radiation shielding capacity are designed for special construction applications.
Upper limit on the eta->pi+pi- branching fraction with the KLOE experiment
D. Babusci, M. Berlowski, C. Bloise, F. Bossi, P. Branchini, A. Budano, B. Cao, F. Ceradini, P. Ciambrone, F. Curciarello, E. Czerwiński, G. D'Agostini, E. Dan?, V. De Leo, E. De Lucia, A. De Santis, P. De Simone, A. Di Cicco, A. Di Domenico, D. Domenici, A. D'Uffizi, A. Fantini, P. Fermani, S. Fiore, A. Gajos, P. Gauzzi, S. Giovannella, E. Graziani, V. L. Ivanov, T. Johansson, X. Kang, D. Kisielewska-Kamińska, E. A. Kozyrev, W. Krzemien, A. Kupsc, P. A. Lukin, G. Mandaglio, M. Martini, R. Messi, S. Miscetti, D. Moricciani, P. Moskal, S. Parzych, A. Passeri, V. Patera, E. Perez del Rio, P. Santangelo, M. Schioppa, A. Selce, M. Silarski, F. Sirghi, E. P. Solodov, L. Tortora, G. Venanzoni, W. Wiślicki, M. Wolke
abstract
Based on an integrated luminosity of 1.61 fb^{-1} e+e- collision data collected with the KLOE detector at DAFNE, the Frascati phi-factory, a search for the P- and CP-violating decay eta->pi+pi- has been performed. Radiative phi->eta gamma decay is exploited to access the eta mesons. No signal is observed in the pi+pi- invariant mass spectrum, and the upper limit on the branching fraction at 90% confidence level is determined to be B(eta->pi+pi-)<4.9x10^{-6}, which is approximately three times smaller than the previous KLOE result. From the combination of these two measurements we get B(eta->pi+pi-)<4.4x10^{-6} at 90% confidence level.
Measurement of the branching fraction for the decay KS -> pi mu nu with the KLOE detector
D. Babusci, M. Berlowski, C. Bloise, F. Bossi, P. Branchini, A. Budano, B. Cao, F. Ceradini, P. Ciambrone, F. Curciarello, E. Czerwisnski, G. D'Agostini, E. Dane, V. De Leo, E. De Lucia, A. De Santis, P. De Simone, A. Di Cicco, A. Di Domenico, D. Domenici, A. D'Uffizi, A. Fantini, P. Fermani, S. Fiore, A. Gajos, P. Gauzzi, S. Giovannella, E. Graziani, V. L. Ivanov, T. Johansson, X. Kang, D. Kisielewska-Kamisnska, E. A. Kozyrev, W. Krzemien, A. Kupsc, P. A. Lukin, G. Mandaglio, M. Martini, R. Messi, S. Miscetti, D. Moricciani, P. Moskal, S. Parzych, A. Passeri, V. Patera, E. Perez del Rio, P. Santangelo, M. Schioppa, A. Selce, M. Silarski, F. Sirghi, E. P. Solodov, L. Tortora, G. Venanzoni, W. Wislicki, M. Wolke
abstract
Based on a sample of 300 million KS mesons produced in phi -> KLKS decays recorded by the KLOE experiment at the DAFNE e+e- collider we have measured the branching fraction for the decay KS -> pi mu nu. The KS mesons are identified by the interaction of KL mesons in the detector. The KS -> pi mu nu decays are selected by a boosted decision tree built with kinematic variables and by a time-of-flight measurement. Signal efficiencies are evaluated with data control samples of KL -> pi mu nu decays. A fit to the reconstructed muon mass distribution finds 7223?180 signal events. Normalising to the KS -> pi+ pi- decay events the result for the branching fraction is B(KS -> pi mu nu) = (4.56+-0.11stat+-0.17syst)×10-4.
Application of multivariate analysis in search of the Ks->3pi0 decay in the KLOE experiment
S. Parzych
abstract
According to the Standard Model, one of the purely CP-violating processes is the never observed KS->3pi0 decay. The best upper limit on the branching ratio of this process BR(KS->3p0)<2.6×10^-8 was obtained in the KLOE experiment using cut-based analysis. In this paper, we show preliminary results of an alternative approach to those studies using multivariate analysis methods.
Performance evaluation of the modular J-PET detector in conventional PET imaging
M. Das , R. Bayerlein , S. Parzych, S. Sharma, R. D. Badawi , E. Y. Beyene, E. Czerwiński, , A. Hubalewska-Dydejczyk , T. Kaplanoglu, G. Korcyl, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, M. Opalińska, M. Rädler, M. Skurzok, B. A Spencer, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, P. Moskal, E.Ł. Stepien
published in: 2024 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS), Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) and Room Temperature Semiconductor Detector Conference (RTSD)
Feasibility study of positronium imaging with Biograph Vision Quadra and Modular J-PET
S. Parzych, J. Baran, E. Yitayew Beyene, M. Conti, A. Coussat, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K. Valsan Eliyan, A. Gajos, B. Hiesmayr, A. Jędruszczak, K. Kacprzak, M. Kajetanowicz, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, G. Łapkiewicz, L. Mercolli, W. Migdał, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, E. Pérez Del Río, L. Raczyński, A. Rominger, H. Sari, S. Sharma, K. Shi, S. Shivani, R. Shopa, M. Skurzok, W.M. Steinberger, E. Stępień, P. Tanty, F. Tayefi, K. Tayefi Ardebili, W. Wiślicki, P. Moskal
published in: 2023 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors
Positronium Imaging is gaining interest as a new promising method that may improve the diagnostic specificity of Positron Emission Tomography. Recently, the first ex-vivo and in-vivo positronium lifetime images were demonstrated by means of the dedicated multi-photon J-PET system. The latest upgrades of the Biograph Vision Quadra (Siemens Healthineers) to the singles mode acquisition open the possibility of multi-photon imaging. In this simulation-based work, sensitivity of both systems has been assessed as a function of the energy window applied for registration of the prompt photon. The research was conducted using four radioisotopes: 124 I, 68 Ga, 44 Sc, 22 Na, which were chosen due to their medical or laboratory utilization. Simulations were performed with the GATE software. The result indicates that Biograph Vision Quadra provides about 400 times higher sensitivity with respect to the modular J-PET prototype used to demonstrate the first positronium images, assuming full energy acquisition of the prompt photon.
Performance of NEMA characteristics of Modular J-PET
F. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Niedźwiecki, J. Baran, E. Beyene, D. Borys, K. Brzezinski, N. Chug, A. Coussat, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, K. Eliyan, J. Gajewski, A. Gajos, B. Hiesmayr, A. Jędruszczak, K. Kacprzak, M. Kajetanowicz, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, W. Krzemień, D. Kumar, G. Łapkiewicz, W. Migdał, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Río, L. Raczyński, S. Sharma, S. Shivani, R. Shopa, M. Skurzok, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, W. Wislicki, E. Stępień, P. Moskal
published in: 2023 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors
The Modular J-PET scanner, developed by the J-PET collaboration, is a new prototype PET scanner developed based on axially arranged plastic scintillators as a large axial field of view (50cm) affordable tomograph. In this study, the performance characteristics of the scanner were evaluated according to NEMA NU2-2018 standards using Monte Carlo simulation. In order to ensure the selection of true coincidence events, certain criteria were established. Specifically, each photon emitting from a single annihilation must deposit at least 200 keV within 4 ns of a coincidence time window. The preliminary results showed that the sensitivity profile peak was 4 cps/kBq at the center of the detector, While the scatter fraction was estimated to be 39% using the single slice rebinning algorithm. Spatial resolution was estimated around 4.5 mm in the radial and tangential direction and 18 mm in the axial direction.
Normalization and scatter corrections for the J-PET scanner
A. Coussat, W. Krzemień, J. Baran, S. Parzych, L. Raczyński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, J. Gajewski, B. Hiesmayr, K. Valsan Eliyan, A. Jędruszczak, K. Kacprzak, A. Gajos, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Klimaszewski, T. Kozik, G. Łapkiewicz, G. Korcyl, S. Moyo, D. Kumar, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, S. Sharma, E. Pérez Del Río, S. Shivani, R. Shopa, P. Tanty, M. Skurzok, K. Tayefi, F. Tayefi, E. Stępień, W. Wiślicki, P. Moskal
published in: 2023 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors
The Jagiellonian PET scanner is a cost-effective large axial FOV Positron Emission Tomography technology that enables multi-photon imaging and is currently under development at the Jagiellonian University. The current 50 cm prototype, named Modular J-PET, is being investigated for various applications. It is well known that PET data can be affected by several effects during acquisition, such as scattered gamma photons or variations in detection efficiency. Consequently, achieving the reconstruction of images of satisfactory quality requires a set of corrections to be applied to each line-of-response. This summary discusses the implementation and performance of scatter and normalization corrections for the Modular J-PET, and their extension prior to the assembly of a total-body Jagiellonian PET scanner. Normalization correction is achieved using component-based normalization, a method particularly suitable for large scanners with a high number of lines-of-response. Scatter correction is achieved using an extension of the single scatter simulation technique that incorporates time-of-flight information. Reconstruction of reference phantoms based on Monte Carlo simulations highlight improvements in image quality. The application of normalization reduces the non-uniformity in the reconstructed image by a factor of 10 in the axial direction and 2 in the radial direction.
Positronium Lifetime Measurements using 82Rb in a Long-Axial FOV PET/CT Scanner
W.M. Steinberger, H. Sari, L. Mercolli, S. Parzych, S. Niedźwiecki, G. Łapkiewicz, P. Moskal, E. Stępień, A. Rominger, K. Shi, M. Conti
published in: 2023 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Medical Imaging Conference and International Symposium on Room-Temperature Semiconductor Detectors
This work details results from two positronium (Ps) lifetime measurements performed in a long-axial FOV PET/CT scanner using 82 Rb. Ps lifetime measurements are of interest for PET because they can yield additional diagnostic information. The first measurement placed drops of a 82 Rb solution in between aluminum disks, quartz disks, and into a gelatin mixture. The extracted ortho-Ps (o-Ps) lifetime for the quartz sample was measured to be 1.53+/-0.04 ns, which agrees well with the previously published value of 1.56+/-0.08 ns. The lifetime of the aluminum is also compared with previous results, however, the lifetime exhibits a longer o-Ps lifetime due to positrons leaking into the surrounding plastic holder. The second measurement performed assessed the uniformity of the extracted lifetimes across a uniform cylinder (20?×30 cm3 ) filled with water and an activity of approximately 73.3 MBq. The resulting histo-image was sliced into 1.25 cm thick cross sections, which resulted in lifetime distributions containing on average 1.98×10 5 +/-1.06×10 4 counts. These lifetime distributions were integral normalized and compared to an averaged lifetime across the uniform cylinder. Overall average deviation in the lifetime measured across the cylinder was determined to be -0.015+/-1.53%.
Introduction of the DOI capable Total-Body J-PET, a simulation study
Meysam Dadgar, Szymon Parzych, Faranak Tayefi Ardebili, Paweł Moskal and Stefaan Vandenberghe
published in: The Journal of Nuclear Medicine 2022, 63 (supplement 2) 3316;
Introduction of the DOI capable Total-Body J-PET, a simulation study
M. Dadgar, S. Parzych, F. Tayefi, P. Moskal, S. Vandenberghe
published in: Journal of Nuclear Medicine June 2022, 63 (supplement 2) 3316
Positron Emission Tomography PET plays a fundamental role in medical diagnosis and oncological research. Due to exceptional performance of PET scanners and continuous advancement, their clinical availability is spreading [1]. The development of Total-Body PET technology is one of the most recent trends in the medical imaging field. Having large axial field of view (AFOV), they provide greater detection area and therefore an increased sensitivity [2]. Nevertheless, alongside many advantages over traditional PET tomographs they are more susceptible to the parallax error, which causes degradation of axial resolution. This is caused by the contribution of most oblique lines of response (LORs) in the acquired data. To overcome this problem the application of a cut ? angular acceptance criterion ? over such LORs has been recommended. Nonetheless, it causes a significant loss of scanner?s sensitivity [3].Jagiellonian PET (J-PET) collaboration from Krakow, Poland is currently developing novel PET tomographs based on the organic, plastic scintillators [4, 1]. Such unique design allows not only for the introduction of cost efficient Total-Body system, but also is able to solve challenges connected with such tomographs. The main aim of this study is to present a novel solution to overcoming the aforementioned problem of degradation in axial resolution in Total-Body scanners by introducing DOI capable detectors based on the J-PET technology.
From tests of discrete symmetries to medical imaging with J-PET detector
P. Moskal, J. Baran, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Dadgar, K. Dulski, J. Gajewski, A. Gajos, M. Gorgol, B.C. Hiesmayr, B. Jasińska, K. Kacprzak, Ł. Kapłon, H. Karimi, K. Klimaszewski, P. Konieczka, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, N. Krawczyk, W. Krzemień, E. Kubicz, D. Kumar, S. Niedźwiecki, D. Panek, S. Parzych, E. Perez del Rio, L. Raczyński, J. Raj, A. Ruciński, S. Sharma, Shivani, R.Y. Shopa, M. Silarski, M. Skurzok, E.Ł. Stępień, M. Szczepanek, F. Tayefi, W. Wiślicki
published in: PoS PANIC2021 (2022) 033
We present results on CPT symmetry tests in decays of positronium performed with the precision at the level of 10?4, and positronium images determined with the prototype of the J-PET tomograph. The first full-scale prototype apparatus consists of 192 plastic scintillator strips readout from both ends with vacuum tube photomultipliers. Signals produced by photomultipliers are probed in the amplitude domain and are digitized by FPGA-based readout boards in triggerless mode. In this contribution we report on the first two- and three-photon positronium images and tests of CPT symmetry in positronium decays.
