Enhancements in PET Imaging Through Polarization-Correlated Compton Events

Recent advancements in positron emission tomography (PET) technology have been reported in a paper titled "Investigation of the spatial resolution of PET imaging system measuring polarization-correlated Compton events" by Ana Marija Kožuljević and colleagues. The authors developed a novel PET demonstrator system capable of measuring correlated gamma photons using single-layer Compton polarimeters. This system was tested at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb using sources with clinically relevant activities.

The study presents the first images of two Ge-68 line sources reconstructed solely from correlated annihilation events. The researchers determined the spatial resolution at two different diameters and compared these results to those obtained from events involving photoelectric interactions. The findings suggest that detecting polarization-correlated annihilation quanta can potentially reduce background noise and minimize the creation of false lines of response (LORs), leading to improved image quality.

These improvements in spatial resolution could enhance the diagnostic capabilities of PET imaging, making it a more effective tool in clinical settings. The implications of this research extend to various applications in medical imaging, potentially improving patient outcomes through more accurate diagnostics.

For further details, the paper can be accessed at arXiv:2409.01238.