Methodology for time and TOT calibration of a modular J-PET scanner with prompt gamma emitters 22Na and 44Sc
K. Kacprzak, E. Beyene, J. Choiński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, M. Das, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, K. Kubat, S. Kumar Kundu, D. Kumar, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, A. Pandey, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, M. Rädler, S. Sharma, M. Skurzok, A. Stolarz, T. Szumlak, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Tiwari, A. Venadan, E.Ł. Stępień, P. Moskal
abstract
Objective: The goal of the work is to develop a set of methods for calibrating the positron emission tomography system built from plastic scintillators, and to present the results of the modular J-PET scanner time of flight (TOF) and time over threshold (TOT) synchronisation.
Methods: Measurements with radionuclide 22Na and 44Sc (used as a point-like source and enclosed in a collimator) were performed using the modular J-PET scanner, which detects signals from annihilation photons and prompt gamma. The data were gathered with a trigger-less data acquisition system and analysed with a dedicated software framework. The detection modules were synchronised with the procedures, correcting time offsets and normalising TOT measurements.
Results: The application of the time calibration methods yields a fully synchronised detector that is capable of producing the image of the source. TOF resolution for modular J-PET is determined to be about 490 ps (FWHM).
Conclusions: The J-PET scanner, built from plastic scintillators, can be calibrated using betta+gamma emitters and taking advantage of the fact that the direction of propagation of annihilation and prompt photons are not correlated.
Monte Carlo-Based Scatter Correction for the Plastic Based Modular PET Scanner J-PET
R. Bayerlein†, M. Das†, S. Sharma, R. D. Badawi, E. Y. Beyene, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, K. V. Eliyan, J. Hajduga, A. Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, S. Jalali, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, K. Kubat, S. K. Kundu, A. K. Venadan, D. Kumar, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, M. Opalińska, P. Pandey, A. Pandey, S. Parzych, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, M. Rädler, B. A. Spencer, A. Sowa-Staszczak, M. Skurzok, T. Szumlak, S. Tiwari, P. Tanty, K. T. Ardebili, E. Ł. Stępień, and P. Moskał.
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
abstract
First Positronium Lifetime Imaging using 52Mn and 55Co with a plastic-based PET scanner
M. Das, S. Sharma, E. Y. Beyene, A. Bilewicz, J. Choiński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, K. Kubat, D. Kumar, S. Kumar Kundu, A. Kunimmal Venadan, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Medrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, A. Pandey, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, M. Rädler, N. Rathod, N. Razzaq, A. Rominger, K. Shi, M. Skurzok, M. Słotwiński, A. Stolarz, T. Szumlak, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Tiwari, K. Valsan Eliyan, R. Walczak, E. Ł. Stępień, P. 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.
First ex-vivo positronium imaging of tissues with modular J-PET scanner using 44Sc radionuclide
K. Kubat, M. Das, S. Sharma, E. Y. Beyene, A. Bilewicz, J. Choiński, N. Chug, C. Curceanu, E. Czerwiński, J. Hajduga, S. Jalali, K. Kacprzak, T. Kaplanoglu, Ł. Kapłon, K. Kasperska, A. Khreptak, G. Korcyl, T. Kozik, D. Kumar, S. Kumar Kundu, A. Kunimmal-Venadan, B. Leszczyński, E. Lisowski, F. Lisowski, J. Mędrala-Sowa, S. Moyo, W. Mryka, S. Niedźwiecki, A. Pandey, P. Pandey, S. Parzych, A. Porcelli, B. Rachwał, M. Rädler, M. Skurzok, A. Stolarz, T. Szumlak, P. Tanty, K. Tayefi Ardebili, S. Tiwari, K. Valsan Eliyan, R. Walczak, P. Moskal, E. Ł. Stępień
abstract
This study presents the first ex-vivo positronium imaging of human tissues using the modular J-PET scanner with the 44Sc radionuclide. The 44Sc isotope was produced via the 44Ca(p, n)44Sc nuclear reaction and used to perform positronium imaging of phantom composed of human adipose tissue, cardiac myxoma tissue, thrombi blood clot, and also porous polymer XAD4, and a certified reference material (CRM) made from fused silica. The experiment demonstrates the suitability of 44Sc as a positron source for positronium imaging. The performance of J-PET for positronium imaging with 44Sc was validated by proper reconstruction of the mean orthopositronium lifetime for CRM material and XAD-4 polymer. The mean ortho-positronium (oPs) lifetimes determined for adipose tissue, cardiac myxoma tissues and thrombi were consistent with results of previous experiments. The study highlights the potential Sc radionuclide for positronium lifetime imaging (PLI).
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)
