Recent results of the TierPET scanner

At the Forschungszentrum Julich a high resolution positron emission tomogra ph (TierPET) for imaging small laboratory animals, especially rats, has bee n constructed. The scanner is based on arrays of YAP crystals. As a special feature the detector distances can be varied continuously from 16 to 58 cm . Due to the variable detector distances the performance of the scanner has to be evaluated in various configurations. Special attention was paid to d edicated data acquisition protocols and adequate applications with regard t o the system sensitivity.