Analysis of timing performance for an APD-LSO scintillation detector

The timing performance of a detector designed for application in positron emission tomography (PET) directly effects image noise in the form of random events. The application of avalanche photodiodes in a PET scintillation detector requires careful analysis and design to achieve timing performance comparable to photomultiplier based systems. In this paper, we present a robust technique that allows the analysis of the timing system including the constant fraction discriminator. We compare the analysis to experimental results to prove validity. Finally, we analyze the performance of several CFD topologies capable of being realized in a CMOS ASIC. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.