Recent Advances In Digital Positron Emission Tomography

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-disruptive functional imaging technique, which provides a high resolution and high-sensitivity measurement of the functional processes in biological systems. The recent developments in biology and radio-chemistry enabled PET to study an increasing number of functional processes, but became highly demanding in terms of sensitivity, spatial resolution, and adaptability to the variable size of the biological systems ranging from few millimeters up to several centimeters. In this paper we show how digital signal processing in PET plays an important role in the technological advancement. We report the recent results of digital signal processing methods based on the Multi Voltage Threshold technology, exploring the performances of a series of digital PET systems built upon this principle. We further describe developments of the MVT theory including space-pattern digital signal analysis and the related idea of the integration of the MVT technology within intelligent CMOS SiPM sensors for PET.