Photonics magazine is profiling photodetectors made by Zecotek Photonics, a firm out of Singapore, that work well within strong magnetic fields, allowing engineers to make hybrid PET/MRI machines.
Zecotek is leading a collaborative research program with the University of Washington to develop a proprietary PET-MRI detector as the core technology of a new generation of medical imaging systems. The major barrier to a combined PET and MRI scanning device is the strong magnetic fields of MRI which destroy the photodetection capabilities of current PET scanning devices. Unlike the vacuum tube-based PMT, Zecotek’s MAPD photodetectors can operate in highly magnetic environment of the MRI making the LFS scintillation crystals and MAPD photodetectors critical enabling technologies for a successful fusion of PET and MRI into one scanning device. This new generation device will offer both higher resolution and faster patient throughput which in turn improves patient diagnostics and reduces costs to the medical system, Zecotek said.
Zecotek announced in mid-April that it successfully completed preproduction testing of the MAPD, which will be initially produced in an 8 by 8 format, with 64 individual MAPDs each measuring 3 by 3 mm, and scalable to larger dimensions. First run production has been slated for evaluation by select industry partners.
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Product page: Micro-pixel Avalanche Photo Diodes (MAPD)