On January 26, the research team led by Professor Gyuseong Cho, from the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, in collaboration with the National Nano Fab Center announced that they had succeeded in developing Korea’s own silicon photo multiplier (SiPM). SiPMs are a critical component in PET-MR equipment, which amplify light received by radiation detectors. The significance of this new development is evidenced in the fact that, while the average PET-MR equipment costs around $5 million, SiPMs make up over 10% of the total cost.

While advances in medical imaging equipment have resulted in an increase in the demand for SiPMs, only a few advanced nations including the US, Japan and Germany possess the technical capabilities to manufacture SiPMs due to their difficult development. While the domestic market for PET equipment was evaluated at $300 million in 2010, Korean manufactured products or components are nonexistent. The new technology developed by Professor Cho is expected to have significant ramifications on the market once it becomes commercialized.

PET-MR is a relatively new technology that combines the advantages of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). SiPMs are a necessity in order to combine the two as the strong magnetic field required for MRI greatly interferes with the vacuum tube-based photo multipliers used in conventional PET equipment.

By optimizing the structure and increasing responsiveness, the newly developed SiPM is better in terms of both time and energy resolution. Capable of amplifying low intensity light signals by one million times, it is even capable of detecting single photons. The research team is currently working on animal testing and expects to see the new technology being commercialized within two years.

According to Professor Cho, “the domestic production of SiPMs means that Korea can now work towards domestic production of radiation detectors, as Korea currently relies entirely on imported products.” He also added that Korea could “look towards exporting medical imaging equipment in the future, following the export of nuclear power plants.”

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