Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39939493›Full record

ReviewEJNMMI physics2025

ASICs in PET: what we have and what we need.

Vanessa Nadig, Stefan Gundacker, Katrin Herweg, Stephan Naunheim, David Schug, Bjoern Weissler, Volkmar Schulz

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in EJNMMI physics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Vanessa NadigUniversity Hospital Aaachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Stefan GundackerUniversity Hospital Aaachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Katrin HerwegUniversity Hospital Aaachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Stephan NaunheimUniversity Hospital Aaachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
David SchugUniversity Hospital Aaachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Bjoern WeisslerUniversity Hospital Aaachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Volkmar SchulzHyperion Hybrid Imaging Systems GmbH, Pauwelsstrasse 19, 52074, Aachen, GER, Germany. volkmar.schulz@lfb.rwth-aachen.de.

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) 500540345
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDesigning positron emission tomography (PET) scanners involves several significant challenges. These include the precise measurement of the time of arrival of signals, accurate integration of the pulse shape, maintaining low power consumption, and supporting the readout of thousands of channels. To address these challenges, researchers and engineers frequently develop application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which are custom-designed readout electronics optimized for specific tasks. As a result, a wide range of ASIC solutions has emerged in PET applications. However, there is currently no comprehensive or standardized comparison of these ASIC designs across the field.

methodsIn this paper, we evaluate the requirements posed to readout electronics in the field of PET, give an overview of the most important ASICs available for PET applications and discuss how to characterize their essential features and performance parameters. We thoroughly review the hardware characteristics of the different circuits, such as the number of readout channels provided, their power consumption, input and output design. Furthermore, we summarize their performance as characterized in literature.

resultsWhile the ASICs described show common trends towards lower power consumption or a higher number of readout channels over the past two decades, their characteristics and also their performance assessment by the developers, producers and vendors differ in many aspects. To cope with the challenge of selecting a suitable ASIC for a given purpose and PET application from the varying information available, this article suggests a protocol to assess an ASIC's performance parameters and characteristics.

conclusionASICs developed for PET applications are versatile. With novel benchmarks set for the impact of scintillator and photosensor on the time-of-flight performance, the pressure on ASICs to deliver higher timing resolution and cope with an even higher data rate is enormous. Latest developments promise new circuits and improvements in time-of-flight performance. This article provides an overview on existing and emerging readout solutions in PET over the past 20 years, which is currently lacking in literature.

Indexed as

Application-specific integrated circuitsASICCoincidence resolution timeFlexTOTNINOPETPETAPETsysPositron emission tomographySTiCTime-of-flightTOFPET2Weeroc

Identifiers

PMID39939493
PMCPMC11822191

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.