FPGA-based front-end electronics for positron emission tomography

Modern Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are capable of performing complex discrete signal processing algorithms with clock rates above 100MHz. This combined with FPGA’s low expense, ease of use, and selected dedicated hardware make them an ideal technology for a data acquisition system for positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. Our laboratory is producing a high-resolution, small-animal PET scanner that utilizes FPGAs as the core of the front-end electronics. For this next generation scanner, functions that are typically performed in dedicated circuits, or offline, are being migrated to the FPGA. This will not only simplify the electronics, but the features of modern FPGAs can be utilizes to add significant signal processing power to produce higher resolution images. In this paper two such processes, sub-clock rate pulse timing and event localization, will be discussed in detail. We show that timing performed in the FPGA can achieve a resolution that is suitable for smal...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: FPGA
• Authors: Michael Haselman, Robert Miyaoka, Thomas K. Lewellen, Scott Hauck, Wendy McDougald, Don Dewitt
• Keywords: FPGA 2009, FPGA’s Low Expense, Hardware, Signal Processing, Signal Processing Algorithms