Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

We have developed a new time calibration method for the DRS4 waveform sampler that enables us to precisely measure the non-uniform sampling interval inherent in the switched-capacitor cells of the DRS4. The method uses the proportionality between the differential amplitude and sampling interval of adjacent switched-capacitor cells responding to a sawtooth-shape pulse. In the experiment, a sawtooth-shape pulse with a 40 ns period generated by a Tektronix AWG7102 is fed to a DRS4 evaluation board for calibrating the sampling intervals of all 1024 cells individually...

For precise measurements with polarised neutrons high efficient spin-manipulation is required. We developed several neutron optical elements suitable for a new sophisticated setup, i.e., DC spin-turners and Larmor-accelerators which diminish thermal disturbances and depolarisation considerably. The gain in performance is exploited demonstrating violation of a Bell-like inequality for a spin-path entangled single-neutron state. The obtained value of [Formula: see text], which is much higher than previous measurements by neutron interferometry, is [Formula: see text] above the limit of S=2 predicted by contextual hidden variable theories...

The Thorium-229 isotope features a nuclear isomer state with an extremely low energy. The currently most accepted energy value, 7.8±0.5 eV, was obtained from an indirect measurement using a NASA x-ray microcalorimeter with an instrumental resolution 26 eV. We study, how state-of-the-art magnetic metallic microcalorimeters with an energy resolution down to a few eV can be used to measure the isomer energy. In particular, resolving the 29.18 keV doublet in the γ-spectrum following the α-decay of Uranium-233, corresponding to the decay into the ground and isomer state, allows to measure the isomer transition energy without additional theoretical input parameters, and increase the energy accuracy...

High resolution X-ray radiography and computed tomography are excellent techniques for non-destructive characterization of an object under investigation at a spatial resolution in the micrometer range. However, as the image contrast depends on both chemical composition and material density, no chemical information is obtained from this data. Furthermore, lab-based measurements are affected by the polychromatic X-ray beam, which results in beam hardening effects. New types of X-ray detectors which provide spectral information on the measured X-ray beam can help to overcome these limitations...

The introduction of silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) has facilitated construction of compact, efficient and magnetic field-hardened positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. To take full advantage of these devices, methods for using them to produce large field-of-view PET scanners are needed. In this investigation, we explored techniques to combine two SiPM arrays to form the building block for a small animal PET scanner. The module consists of a 26 × 58 array of 1.5 × 1.5mm(2) LYSO elements (spanning 41 × 91mm(2)) coupled to two SensL SiPM arrays...

In this paper, we will report the development of an ultrahigh resolution MR-compatible SPECT system that can be operated inside a pre-existing clinical MR scanner for simultaneous dual-modality imaging of small animals. This system is constructed with 40 small-pixel CdTe detector modules assembled in a fully stationary ring SPECT geometry. We have experimentally demonstrated that this system is capable of providing an imaging resolution of <500 μm when operating inside MR scanners. We will report the design, construction of the MRI-compatible SPECT system, including the detector technology, collimator, system development and so on...

Accurate kinetic modelling of in vivo physiological function using positron emission tomography (PET) requires determination of the tracer time-activity curve in plasma, known as the arterial input function (AIF). The AIF is usually determined by invasive blood sampling methods, which are prohibitive in murine studies due to low total blood volumes. Extracting AIFs from PET images is also challenging due to large partial volume effects (PVE). We hypothesise that in combined PET with magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR), a co-injected bolus of MR contrast agent and PET ligand can be tracked using fast MR acquisitions...

Heart failure originating from myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Mouse models of ischaemia and reperfusion injury (I/R) are used to study the effects of novel treatment strategies targeting MI, however staging disease and treatment efficacy is a challenge. Damage and recovery can be assessed on the cellular, tissue or whole-organ scale but these are rarely measured in concert. Here, for the first time, we present data showing measures of injury in infarcted mice using complementary techniques for multi-modal characterisation of the heart...

In this work, we present an initial MR-compatibility study performed with the world's first preclinical PET/MR insert based on fully digital silicon photo multipliers (dSiPM). The PET insert allows simultaneous data acquisition of both imaging modalities and thus enables the true potential of hybrid PET/MRI. Since the PET insert has the potential to interfere with all of the MRI's subsystems (strong magnet, gradients system, radio frequency (RF) system) and vice versa, interference studies on both imaging systems are of great importance to ensure an undisturbed operation...

Gravity experiments with very slow, so-called ultracold neutrons connect quantum mechanics with tests of Newton's inverse square law at short distances. These experiments face a low count rate and hence need highly optimized detector concepts. In the frame of this paper, we present low-background ultracold neutron counters and track detectors with micron resolution based on a (10)B converter. We discuss the optimization of (10)B converter layers, detector design and concepts for read-out electronics focusing on high-efficiency and low-background...

Selected particle detectors are described which find an application in medicine and have been the topic of presentations at the 2013 Vienna Conference of Instrumentation (VCI).

This paper provides a short review of physical principles, technology, biomedical applications and perspectives of the optoacoustic imaging. Ideas that made this rapidly developing field possible include the following: (1) laser pulses may be effectively used to produce acoustic pressure in biological tissues localized to the areas of increased optical absorption, (2) the resulting acoustic (ultrasonic) waves propagate in tissues with minimal distortions and attenuation, (3) 2D and 3D maps (images) of the absorbed optical energy can be reconstructed with high resolution from the detected optoacoustic signals...

We consider the effects of using a fixed linear transformation to match positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquired simultaneously using a split-magnet system. Estimates of the frequency offset in MRI scans were used to calculate geometric variability in MRI reconstruction as a consequence of mis-setting this parameter in addition to repeated estimation of the transformation matrix by manual measurements. None of the measured variability approached the resolution of the PET images so we concluded that a fixed matrix can be reliably used in such a system...

Chronic heart failure, as a result of acute myocardial infarction, is a leading cause of death worldwide. Combining diagnostic imaging modalities may aid the direct assessment of experimental treatments targeting heart failure in vivo . Here we present preliminary data using the Cambridge combined 18 FDG PET/MRI imaging system in a mouse model of acute myocardial infarction. The split-magnet design can deliver uncompromised MRI and PET performance, for better assessment of disease and treatment in a preclinical environment...

We propose a new type of momentum spectrometer, which uses the R×B drift effect to disperse the charged particles in a uniformly curved magnetic field, and measures the particles with large phase space acceptance and high resolution. This kind of R×B spectrometer is designed for the momentum analyses of the decay electrons and protons in the PERC (Proton and Electron Radiation Channel) beam station, which provides a strong magnetic field to guide the charged particles in the instrument. Instead of eliminating the guiding field, the R×B spectrometer evolves the field gradually to the analysing field, and the charged particles can be adiabatically transported during the dispersion and detection...

In this paper, we will present a new small pixel CdTe/CZT detector for sub-500 μm resolution SPECT imaging application inside MR scanner based on a recently developed hybrid pixel-waveform (HPWF) readout circuitry. The HPWF readout system consists of a 2-D multi-pixel circuitry attached to the anode pixels to provide the X-Y positions of interactions, and a high-speed digitizer to read out the pulse-waveform induced on the cathode. The digitized cathode waveform could provide energy deposition information, precise timing and depth-of-interaction information for gamma ray interactions...

Despite the rapid advances in solid state technologies such as the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM), microchannel plate (MCP) photomultipliers still offer a proven and practical technological solution for high channel count pixellated photon-counting systems with very high time resolution. We describe progress towards a 256 channel optical photon-counting system using CERN-developed NINO and HTDC ASICs, and designed primarily for time resolved spectroscopy in life science applications. Having previously built and demonstrated a 18 mm diameter prototype tube with an 8×8 channel readout configuration and <43 ps rms single photon timing resolution, we are currently developing a 40 mm device with a 32×32 channel readout...

We are exploring a novel time- and cost-efficient approach to produce robust, large-volume polycrystalline lanthanide halide scintillators using a hot wall evaporation (HWE) technique. To date, we have fabricated LaBr3 :Ce and LaCl3 :Ce films (slabs) measuring up to 7 cm in diameter and 7+ mm in thickness (20 to 25 cm3 in volume) on quartz substrates. These polycrystalline scintillators exhibit very bright emissions approaching those exhibited by their melt-grown crystal counterparts. Scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) and X-ray diffraction analyses confirm polycrystalline growth with columnar structures, both of which help in light piping, thereby contributing to the observed high light yields...

We describe an MR-compatible SPECT camera for small animals. The SPECT camera system can be inserted into the bore of a state-of-the-art MRI system and allows researchers to acquire tomographic images from a mouse in-vivo with the MRI and the SPECT acquiring simultaneously. The SPECT system provides functional information, while MRI provides anatomical information. Until today it was impossible to operate conventional SPECT inside the MRI because of mutual interference. The new SPECT technology is based on semiconductor radiation sensors (CZT, ASICs), and it fits into conventional high field MRI systems with a minimum 12-cm bore size...

We describe an instrument to record x-ray diffraction patterns from diseased regions of human brain tissue by combining an in-line visible light fluorescence microscope with an x-ray diffraction microprobe. We use thiazine red fluorescence to specifically label and detect the filamentous tau protein pathology associated with Pick's disease, as several labs have done previously. We demonstrate that thiazine red-enhanced regions within the tissue show periodic structure in x-ray diffraction that is not observed in healthy tissue...