A Handheld Probe for beta(+)-Emitting Radiotracer Detection in Surgery, Biopsy and Medical Diagnostics based on Silicon Photomultipliers

We present a new, handheld probe for radiotracer detection in vivo and inside operating theatres, where PET scanners cannot be used for radioguided surgery. The device is based on scintillation detectors optically coupled to Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). It is wirelessly connected to a PC, which, among other functions, optimises operating voltages to compensate for changes of the detector temperature. The probe is primarily aimed at and optimised for direct detection of beta(+) radiation at short distances. Nevertheless, it is also sensitive to gamma, thus enabling the surgeon to localise tumours roughly at larger distances. The use of the probe has been demonstrated in first preclinical pilot trials with oncologic patients at the CHUV university hospital.

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Edoardo Charbon, Claudio Bruschini, Christian Mester
2011
Conference paper

Abstract

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https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/184759?ln=en

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Related concepts (2)

Medical diagnosis

Medical diagnosis (abbreviated Dx, Dx, or Ds) is the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs. It is most often referred to as diagnosis with the medical context being implicit. The information required for diagnosis is typically collected from a history and physical examination of the person seeking medical care. Often, one or more diagnostic procedures, such as medical tests, are also done during the process. Sometimes the posthumous diagnosis is considered a kind of medical diagnosis.

Scintillator

A scintillator ('sɪntɪleɪtər ) is a material that exhibits scintillation, the property of luminescence, when excited by ionizing radiation. Luminescent materials, when struck by an incoming particle, absorb its energy and scintillate (i.e. re-emit the absorbed energy in the form of light). Sometimes, the excited state is metastable, so the relaxation back down from the excited state to lower states is delayed (necessitating anywhere from a few nanoseconds to hours depending on the material).