Processing event data in pet imaging

A positron emission tomography imaging system comprising:

• a bore for receiving a subject, the bore comprising an axis;
• a plurality of detector elements;
• and
• a plurality of compute elements;
• wherein each detector element comprises a scintillator array coupled to a photodetector array, and is configured to generate event data in response to received gamma quanta, the event data representing detection times of the received gamma quanta and/or a light distribution generated in the scintillator array in response to the received gamma quanta;
• wherein each compute element comprises one or more of the detector elements, and wherein the compute elements are arranged around the axis of the bore such that the detector elements generate the event data in response to gamma quanta received from within the bore;
• wherein each compute element comprises a first communication path coupling the compute element to an adjacent compute element in a circumferential direction around the bore, and a second communication path coupling the compute element to a non-adjacent compute element in the circumferential direction;
• and
• wherein each compute element comprises a processor configured to receive the event data generated by its one or more detector elements, and to communicate the event data to the processor of its adjacent compute element, and to the processor of its non-adjacent compute element, via its first communication path, and via its second communication path, respectively.