Quantum Entanglement Tomography for enhanced medical imaging

This proposal presents Quantum Entanglement Tomography (QET) as a technique which utilises the quantum entanglement of photon pairs to create a low noise imaging technology. When a positron annihilates with an electron, two photons of equal energy are emitted in approximately opposite directions. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging determines the position of a positron-containing radiotracer by counting numerous photon pairs, but the imaging is hindered by physical processes, including in-patient scattering and random coincidences, making it difficult to separate “true” photon pairs from “false” pairs caused by other processes. QET utilises the quantum entanglement of the photon pairs from the positron emission, and this project will use the technique to create a medical imaging technology which will show improved image quality over PET. Other benefits include lower doses and faster examination times. The project combines the University of Edinburgh, who have proven the feasibility of QET, with Kromek, a leading developer and supplier of radiation detector technology. The project will see the development of a prototype detection system, alongside the reconstruction algorithms required for commercialisation