First Positronium Lifetime Imaging using 52Mn and 55Co with a plastic-based PET scanner
Manish Das, Sushil Sharma, Ermias Yitayew Beyene, Aleksander Bilewicz, Jarosław Choiński, Neha Chug, Catalina Curceanu, Eryk Czerwiński, Jakub Hajduga, Sharareh Jalali, Krzysztof Kacprzak, Tevfik Kaplanoglu, Łukasz Kapłon, Kamila Kasperska, Aleksander Khreptak, Grzegorz Korcyl, Tomasz Kozik, Karol Kubat, Deepak Kumar, Sumit Kumar Kundu, Anoop Kunimmal Venadan, Edward Lisowski, Filip Lisowski, Justyna Medrala-Sowa, Simbarashe Moyo, Wiktor Mryka, Szymon Niedźwiecki, Anand Pandey, Piyush Pandey, Szymon Parzych, Alessio Porcelli, Bartłomiej Rachwał, Martin Rädler, Narendra Rathod, Noman Razzaq, Axel Rominger, Kuangyu Shi, Magdalena Skurzok, Maciej Słotwiński, Anna Stolarz, Tomasz Szumlak, Pooja Tanty, Keyvan Tayefi Ardebili, Satyam Tiwari, Kavya Valsan Eliyan, Rafał Walczak, Ewa Ł. Stępień, Paweł Moskal
abstract
This study demonstrates applicability of 52Mn and 55Co radionuclides for positronium imaging. Positronium Lifetime Imaging
(PLI) extends positron emission tomography by using the lifetime of positronium atoms as a probe of tissue molecular
architecture. However, its practical use requires ?+ emitters that also provide an additional prompt ? ray to mark the positron creation time. In this work, we report the first PLI measurements performed with 52Mn and 55Co using the modular J-PET. Four samples were studied in each experiment: two Certified Reference Materials (polycarbonate and fused silica) and two
human tissues (cardiac myxoma and adipose). The selection of PLI events was based on the registration of two 511 keV
annihilation photons and one prompt gamma in triple coincidence. From the resulting lifetime spectra we extracted the mean
ortho-positronium lifetime ?oPs and the mean positron lifetime ?Tmean for each sample. The measured values of ?oPs in
polycarbonate using both isotopes matches well with the certified reference values. Furthermore, 55Co reproduced identical
results for fused-silica measurements at their respective uncertainty levels. In contrast, measurements with 52Mn in fused silica show a minor deviation, which could be caused by the Parafilm spacer. In myxoma and adipose tissue, the reduced ?oPs values are mainly linked to the long storage history of the samples rather than to the choice of isotope. Comparing peak-to-background ratios and spectral purity, 55Co provides cleaner PLI data under the same experimental conditions. Although 52Mn offers a longer half-life and a multi gamma cascade enhancing ?+ + ? coincidences, but at the expense of higher background. In this study, we demonstrate that the applied selection criteria on the data measured with the modular J-PET can be used for PLI studies even with radionuclides with complex decay patterns.
Studies of CPT symmetry in positronium decays with 192 plastic strip J-PET detector
N. Chug, S. D. Bass, E. Y. Beyene, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Das, K. V. Eliyan, M. Gorgol, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, B. Jasińska, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, A. Kierys, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, A. Kunimmal Venadan, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, E. Pérez del Río, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, M. Rädler, A. Sienkiewicz, S. Sharma, M. Skurzok, E. Ł. Stępień, T. Szumlak, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Tiwari, P. Moskal
abstract
Accepted in Phys. Rev. D.
Feasibility of H Annihilation-Vertex Reconstruction with Modular J-PET: A Simulation-Based Study
P. Pandey, S. Sharma, P. Moskal, R.C. Ferguson, R. Caravita, A. K. Venadan, G. Korcyl, K. Kacprzak
abstract
The Antihydrogen Experiment: gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy at CERN aims to measure the gravitational acceleration of antihydrogen (H) atoms to test the weak equivalence principle for antimatter systems. In the proposed approach, a pulsed H beam, produced via charge exchange between Rydberg positronium and antiprotons, traverses a moiré deflectometer comprising two equally spaced gratings followed by a position-sensitive detector. As the beam traverses the moiré setup, H may annihilate on the gratings or nearby structures, producing high-energy pions, or continue towards the position-sensitive detector. For a high-accuracy gravity measurement, precise knowledge of the beam profile and annihilation points is essential. We present results from a feasibility study of vertex reconstruction using modular J-PET detectors spanning the full axial length of the moiré setup. The generated pions, being minimum-ionising particles, follow straight paths. The adapted method is based on the consecutive registration of each pion, defining individual tracks in a pair of modules placed 10 cm apart. The hit positions are used to reconstruct the track direction, which is then projected back to estimate the spatial coordinates of the H annihilation vertex. For this feasibility study, we developed a customised Geant4-based simulation package and an analysis algorithm that implements a track-and-extrapolate algorithm to image the annihilation vertices.
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.
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.
First Experimental Demonstration of Positronium Lifetime Imaging with 44Sc Using the J-PET Scanner
M. Das, S. Sharma, E. Y. Beyene, A. Bilewicz, J. Choiński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, A. Kunimmal Venadan, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, E. P.D. Río, M. Rädler, M. Skurzok, A. Stolarz, T. Szumlak, S. Tiwari, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, K. Valsan Eliyan, R. Walczak, E.Ł. Stępień, P. Moskal
published in: 2025 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS), Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) and Room Temperature Semiconductor Detector Conference (RTSD)
Positronium lifetime imaging (PLI) [1], an extension of PET, provides insight into the submolecular properties of tissues by imaging the lifetime of the positronium atom [2]. Currently, the method is under rapid development as regards reconstruction [3], [4] and detection systems [5], [6]. The first studies with the J-PET scanner using 68Ga have demonstrated the feasibility of this technique in human subjects [6]. However, the Ga68 isotope has limitations due to its low yield of de-excitation photons necessary for positronium lifetime estimation. In this context, 44Sc emerges as a promising candidate for PLI [7], offering a clinically optimal half-life of 3.97 hours and a high deexcitation photon yield of 94.3 % with an energy of 1157 keV. In this work, we report the results of the successful demonstration of PLI with 44 Sc using the Modular J-PET tomograph, featuring triggerless data acquisition that enables simultaneous multiphoton detection [8]. 44Sc was produced at the Heavy Ion Laboratory in Warsaw and transported to Jagiellonian University in Kraków. A NEMA IQ phantom with six spheres was used. The three largest spheres were filled with 44Sc, and the three smallest with 18 F, both diluted with water, having an initial activity concentration ratio of 1:3. Event selection was based on the simultaneous detection of two 511 keV photons and one de-excitation photon, enabling reconstruction of images of the mean positronium lifetime [2], [6]. The measured mean o-Ps lifetime shows good agreement with previously reported values in water [9]. This study presents the first-ever demonstration of PLI with 44 Sc, marking a significant advancement and opening new possibilities for developing PLI for clinical applications.
First Experimental Demonstration of Positronium Lifetime Imaging with 44Sc Using the J-PET Scanner
M. Das, S. Sharma, E. Y. Beyene, A. Bilewicz, J. Choiński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, A. Kunimmal Venadan, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, E. P.D. Río, M. Rädler, M. Skurzok, A. Stolarz, T. Szumlak, S. Tiwari, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, K. Valsan Eliyan, R. Walczak, E.Ł. Stępień, P. Moskal
2025 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS), Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) and Room Temperature Semiconductor Detector Conference (RTSD), Yokohama, Japan (1-8 November 2025))
Simulation studies of a brain PET insert for the total body J-PET tomograph
M. Rädler, E. Y. Beyene, A. Bilewicz, J. Choiński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Das, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, A. Kunimmal Venadan, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, E. P. d. Río, S. Sharma, M. Skurzok, A. Stolarz, T. Szumlak, S. Tiwari, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, K. Valsan Eliyan, R. Walczak, E. Ł. Stępień, P. Moskal
IEEE NSS MIC RTSD in Yokohama
Determination of annihilation vertex of antihydrogen using modular J-PET detector
P. Pandey, S. Sharma, P. Moskal, on behalf of the AEgIS collaboration and, A. K. Venadan, G. Korcyl, K. Kacprzak
2nd Symposium on New Trends in Nuclear and Medical Physics, Krakow, Poland (24-26 September 2025)
Characterization of optical photon transport in Long Plastic Scintillators
S. Sharma, N. Gupta, S. K. Kundu, A. K. Venadan, L. Kaplon, P. Moskal On behalf of the J-PET Collaboration
2nd Symposium on New Trends in Nuclear and Medical Physics, Krakow, Poland (24-26 September 2025)
