Efficiency of RPC detectors for whole-body human TOF-PET

Abstract The resistive plate chamber (RPC) concept for time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET) is based on the converter-plate gamma detection principle and takes advantage of the naturally layered structure of RPCs, of its simple and economic construction, excellent time resolution and very good intrinsic position accuracy. These characteristics may be of interest for the detailed imaging of small animals and for high-sensitivity whole-body human TOF-PET. In this communication we will present detailed simulations concerning the efficiency and imaging accuracy of the RPC-PET concept as a function of the main structural parameters, supplemented by measurements in a large-area chamber targeted at human RPC-PET.