ABSTRACT
Maximum-likelihood estimation methods offer many advantages for processing experimental data to extract information, especially when combined with carefully measured calibration data. There are many tasks relevant to x-ray and gamma-ray detection that can be addressed with a new, fast ML-search algorithm that can be implemented in hardware or software. Example applications include gamma-ray event position, energy, and timing estimation, as well as general applications in optical testing and wave-front sensing.
ABSTRACT
We have developed modular gamma-ray cameras for biomedical imaging that acquire data with a raw list-mode acquisition architecture. All observations associated with a gamma-ray event, such as photomultiplier (PMT) signals and time, are assembled into an event packet and added to an ordered list of event entries that comprise the acquired data. In this work we present the design of the data-acquisition system, and discuss algorithms for a specialized computing engine to reside in the data path between the front and back ends of each camera and carry out maximum-likelihood position and energy estimations in real time while data was being acquired..
