Time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOFPET) assembly and related method thereof

A time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOFPET) assembly for simultaneously detecting lesions of both of a first breast and a second breast of a subject, wherein said subject is anatomically defined with a median plane and chest wall-coronal plane, said assembly comprising:

• a first detector array and a second detector array that each occupy at least a portion of respective spaces defining rings configured for surrounding the first breast and the second breast, wherein said first detector array and said second detector array each have a first detector segment and a second detector segment,
• wherein for said first detector array and said second detector array, said first detector segment and said second detector segment are each positioned in the assembly and configured for being located anterior to the subject,
• wherein the first detector segment and the second detector segment of each detector array are distributed asymmetrically when configured for positioning relative to the first breast and the second breast;
• wherein said first detector segment and said second detector segment each include:
• a first scintillator and a second scintillator, configured for placement toward a target of said first breast and said second breast;
• a first photomultiplier and a second photomultiplier, located opposite said first scintillator and said second scintillator, and
• a first readout and a second readout, connected to said first photomultiplier and said second photomultiplier;
• wherein said first detector segment and said second detector segment are configured to acquire tracer emission signals from the target of said first breast and said second breast;
• a processor that receives the acquired tracer emission signals and converts the acquired tracer emission signals into a three dimensional, tomographic image reconstruction thereby representing the simultaneous detection of lesions of both of the first breast and the second breast of the subject;
• and
• wherein for the first detector segment or the second detector segment positioned asymmetrically when relative to the respective breasts and anterior to the subject, a top edge of either said first detector segment or said second detector segment is above the chest wall-coronal plane of the subject and anterior to the subject, wherein the position images a base of the breast at the chest wall-coronal plane,
• wherein for said first detector array and said second detector array:
• said first detector segment and said second detector segment collectively define a first imaging ring and a second imaging ring,
• wherein said first imaging ring comprises a first face and said second imaging ring comprises a second face, said first face and second face configured for being anterior to the subject and configured to at least partially surround the first breast and the second breast, respectively, and said first face or said second face positioned at a tilt configured to define an offset from the chest wall-coronal plane of the subject, wherein the tilt comprises an imaging angle configured for extending from a top edge of the first detector segment or the second detector segment toward the chest wall coronal plane, and wherein the imaging angle is in the range of about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees.