Mixed garnet oxide scintillators and corresponding systems and methods
Scintillator materials based on mixed garnet compositions, as well as corresponding methods and systems, are described.
1. A scintillator comprising a garnet composition comprising Gd, Lu, Al and Ga, wherein the composition has the representative formula: (Gd, Lu) x (Ga, Al) 5 , and x is greater than 3, wherein the composition further comprises O and Ce and the composition is a polycrystalline ceramic, wherein x is greater than 3 and less than or equal to 3.04.
2. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises between 0.5-45 weight percent Gd, 12-60 weight percent Lu, 1-20 weight percent Al, and 1-35 weight percent Ga.
3. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein Lu is present in amounts in the range of 1 mol % to 50 mol %.
4. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein Ga is present in amounts in the range of 1 mol% to 50 mol %.
5. The scintillator of claim 1 further comprising lutetium aluminum garnet (LuAG) Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 .
6. The scintillator of claim 5 , wherein lutetium aluminum perovskite (LuAP), LuAlO3:Ce is substituted for at least a portion of the LuAG.
7. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator is transparent.
8. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a timing resolution with a value of approximately 500 ps or less.
9. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein the scintillator has a cross-sectional area of greater than 16 in 2 .
10. A detection system comprising:
the scintillator of claim 1 ; and
a detector assembly coupled to the scintillator to detect a light pulse luminescence from the scintillator as a measure of a scintillation event.
11. A detection method comprising:
providing a detection system comprising the scintillator of claim 1 ; and
positioning the system such that a radiation source is within a field of view of the system so as to detect emissions from the source; and,
measuring a scintillation event luminescence signal from the scintillator with the detection assembly.
12. A positron emission tomography scanner system comprising:
an imaging area;
at least one radiation detector disposed adjacent the imaging area, wherein the at least one radiation detector comprises:
the scintillator of claim 1 ;
a detector assembly coupled to the scintillator to detect a light pulse luminescence from the scintillator as a measure of a scintillation event; and
electronics coupled to the at least one detector so as to output image data in response to radiation detected by the at least one detector.
13. A method of performing time-of-flight positron emission tomography comprising:
positioning a patient within a field of view of a positron emission tomography scanner system, the system comprising the scintillator of claim 1 ;
detecting positron annihilation emissions from the patient using the positron emission tomography scanner system; and
generating patient image data in response to the detected emissions.
14. The scintillator of claim 1 , wherein x is greater than or equal to 3.02 and less than or equal to 3.04.