First positronium imaging using $^{44}$Sc with the J-PET scanner: a case study on the NEMA-Image Quality phantom

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the first positronium lifetime imaging using $^{44}$Sc with the J-PET scanner on a phantom, highlighting its potential for improved biological tissue analysis.

Contribution

It introduces the first experimental positronium imaging with $^{44}$Sc on a NEMA-Image Quality phantom using the J-PET scanner.

Findings

First in vitro positronium imaging with $^{44}$Sc.

Successful demonstration on NEMA-Image Quality phantom.

Potential for enhanced biological tissue imaging.

Abstract

Positronium Lifetime Imaging (PLI), an emerging extension of conventional positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, offers a novel window for probing the submolecular properties of biological tissues by imaging the mean lifetime of the positronium atom. Currently, the method is under rapid development in terms of reconstruction and detection systems. Recently, the first in vivo PLI of the human brain was performed using the J-PET scanner utilizing the $^{68}$Ga isotope. However, this isotope has limitations due to its comparatively low prompt gamma yields, which is crucial for positronium lifetime measurement. Among alternative radionuclides, $^{44}$Sc stands out as a promising isotope for PLI, characterized by a clinically suitable half-life (4.04 hours) emitting 1157 keV prompt gamma in 100% cases after the emission of the positron. This study reports the first experimental demonstration of PLI with $^{44}$Sc, carried out on a NEMA-Image Quality (IQ) phantom using the Modular J-PET tomograph-the first plastic scintillators-based PET scanner.