Timing Response Improvement in Light-Sharing Detectors

Abstract

A method for improving timing response in light-sharing scintillation detectors is disclosed. The method includes detecting an event, by a plurality of photo sensors, from a scintillation crystal. The method then includes sampling and digitizing the photo sensor outputs by an analog-to-digital converter. Then the method includes correcting associated timing data, by a processor, for each of the photo sensor outputs based on a lookup table. The method then includes selectively time shifting the photo sensor outputs based on the lookup table to generate corrected photo sensor outputs. The method then includes summing the corrected photo sensor outputs by the processor. The method then includes generating an event time, by the processor, for the detected event based on the sum of the corrected photo sensor outputs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of generating an event time in light-sharing scintillation detectors comprising:
 detecting event, by a plurality of photo sensors, from a plurality of scintillation crystals;   generating event times for each photo sensor, by a time to digital converter coupled to an output of each photo sensor ;   applying a weighting factor, by a processor, to each generated event time;   summing the weighted event times; and   generating a final event time, by the processor, based on the weighted event times.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying a weighted factor to each generated event time includes applying a higher weighted value to the event time associated with a PMT closest in distance to the detected event. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detecting an event by a plurality of photo sensors is done by photomultiplier tubes. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus to improve timing response in light-sharing scintillation detectors comprising:
 a plurality of photo sensors to detect events from a plurality of scintillation crystals;   a plurality of time to digital converters to generate an event time based on an arrival time of each detected event; and   a processor configured to:
 apply a weighting factor to each generated event time; 
 sum the weighted event times; and 
 generate a final event time, by the processor, based on the weighted event times. 
   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the processor applying a weighted factor to each generated event time applies a higher weighted value to the event time associated with a PMT closest in distance to the detected event. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the time to digital converters are digital constant fraction discriminators. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the photo sensors are photomultiplier tubes.