Zecotek Crystals Achieve Record Decay Constants

Zecotek Photonics Inc. announced the successful testing of the newest version of its lutetium fine silicate (LFS) scintillation crystals. Test results showed that Zecotek's LFS-8 crystals have achieved extremely fast decay constants ranging between 15 and 25 ns, depending on chemical composition, with energy resolutions between 7% and 9%.

“This is a welcome and important result for medical imaging and high-energy physics applications,” said A.F. Zerrouk, chairman, president and CEO of Zecotek Photonics.

The testing was conducted by the University of Washington, in Seattle, and by researchers affiliated with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), near Geneva.

Competing lutetium oxide crystals have structural decay times of no less than 40 ns, making the LFS-8 by far the fastest existing scintillation crystal based on lutetium oxide material, according to Zecotek.

This patented formulation is significant to OEMs that are developing time-of-flight positron emission tomography (PET) scanners for high-accuracy imaging.

Zecotek’s LFS crystals are characterized by high radiation hardness, making them a candidate for high-energy physics experiments. Their manufacturing output makes them cost-competitive as well, said the company.

“The improved characteristics of this new version of LFS will allow for faster timing for applications like time-of-flight PET detectors. Such applications are critically dependent on high light output and fast decay,” said Thomas Lewellen of the University of Washington.

“High-density, fast-scintillating crystals that are radiation-resistant against hadron irradiation are key properties in the ongoing high-energy physics experiments,” said Valentin Kozlov from the Lebedev Physical Institute in Moscow.

“Extensive testing and research programs have been carried out on Zecotek’s new scintillating LFS crystals. It was found that these bright and fast crystals are an excellent candidate for the electromagnetic calorimeter at high-luminosity Large Hadron Collider, one of the main projects at CERN.”

For more information, visit: www.zecotek.com