FIELD: physics, optics.
SUBSTANCE: invention relates to imaging and particularly to photon scatter correction in time-of-flight positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. The method of correcting time-of-flight PET imaging data acquired by photon detectors in a PET scanner (200) to account for photon scatter, wherein a field of view (230) of the PET scanner (200) is divided into basis functions (232), and one or more scattering points (S) are identified in order to apply a scatter simulation model, the method comprising: for each photon scattering point (S), defining a scatter path (ASB) connecting the photon scattering point (S) with at least one pair of photon detectors (A, B), and calculating a scatter contribution to the PET imaging data recorded by the at least one pair of photon detectors (A, B) from each basis function (232) in a set (PS) of basis functions (p) located along the scatter path (ASB), and wherein the scatter contribution from any one basis function (p) is calculated independently from the scatter contribution from other basis functions (p).
EFFECT: high image quality.
15 cl, 3 dwg
