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Abstract

A detector module is provided that can be used as part of a time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET) system. The detector module comprises a plurality of emitter elements, each emitter element including an emitter composed of a substance that produces scintillation light and/or Cherenkov radiation in response to gamma photons and, coupled to each of two opposing ends of the emitter, a plurality of photodetectors. The height or thickness of the emitters between their coupled photodetectors is less than 20 mm (e.g., 5-15 mm). The photomultipliers may be silicon photomultipliers or SiPMs that have surface areas less than approximately 9 mm². Due to the quantity of photodetectors, their operating locations at both ends of each emitter, and the relative thinness of the emitters, the emitter elements and the detector module provide a timing resolution better (lower) than 100 ps full width at half maximum.

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First Claim