{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:02:18Z","timestamp":1792785738228,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"IOP Publishing","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792627200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":21,"URL":"https:\/\/publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org\/iop-standard\/v1"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792627200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":21,"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/info\/page\/text-and-data-mining"}],"funder":[{"name":"Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission","award":["2025\/2026"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025\/2026"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01e2t6k62","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["iopscience.iop.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomed. Phys. Eng. Express"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    This study investigated the influence of radionuclide cascade decay characteristics on the performance of a non-collinear cascade coincidence imaging modality using Monte Carlo simulations implemented in the GATE platform. To evaluate their imaging performance, four cascade gamma-emitting radionuclides, namely\n                    <jats:sup>43<\/jats:sup>\n                    K,\n                    <jats:sup>73<\/jats:sup>\n                    Se,\n                    <jats:sup>111<\/jats:sup>\n                    In and\n                    <jats:sup>177<\/jats:sup>\n                    Lu were simulated at the center of the field of view of a small-animal positron emission tomography scanner. The scanner is equipped with dual-layer Cerium-doped Gadolinium Oxyorthosilicate (GSO:Ce) detectors. The effects of cascade gamma-ray energies, emission probabilities, and intermediate-state half-lives on cascade coincidence detection efficiency (CCDE), sensitivity, random coincidence contribution, noise performance, scatter fraction (SF) and spatial resolution were evaluated. Simulated intermediate-state half-lives were compared with reference data to validate the simulation framework. The results showed that the simulated intermediate-state half-lives were in good agreement with the reference values, confirming the validity of the simulation model. All radionuclides achieved identical isotropic spatial resolution of approximately 0.477 mm full width at half maximum, indicating that spatial resolution is primarily determined by detector geometry and the reconstruction algorithm rather than radionuclide decay characteristics. In contrast, the remaining imaging performance metrics strongly depended on cascade decay properties and coincidence timing conditions.\n                    <jats:sup>111<\/jats:sup>\n                    In exhibited the highest sensitivity (15058.8 cps\/MBq) and CCDE, but also produced the highest random-to-true coincidence ratio (24.6%) due to its relatively long intermediate-state half-life and wider coincidence timing window.\n                    <jats:sup>73<\/jats:sup>\n                    Se achieved the highest noise-equivalent cascade count rate, while SFs remained negligible for most radionuclides. Therefore, under idealized Monte Carlo simulation conditions, radionuclide cascade decay characteristics, energy window and coincidence timing window optimization play critical roles in determining the performance of non-collinear cascade coincidence imaging systems. The reported performance represents an ideal detector model and should be validated under realistic detector and experimental conditions.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T22:48:05Z","timestamp":1790894885000},"page":"055061","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Influence of radionuclide cascade decay characteristics on non-collinear coincidence imaging performance: a GATE-based Monte Carlo simulation study"],"prefix":"10.1088","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5722-6380","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Leonid L","family":"Nkuba","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4195-9494","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Enock M","family":"Mwita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Dar es Salaam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Innocent J","family":"Junior","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dar es Salaam University College of Education"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisha D","family":"Edmund","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7260-2356","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Innocent J","family":"Lugendo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Dar es Salaam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"266","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/S0168-9002(97)00048-X","type":"journal-article","article-title":"ROOT\u2014An object oriented data analysis framework","volume":"389","author":"Brun","year":"1997","journal-title":"Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. Sect. A Accel. Spectr. Detect. Assoc. Equip."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib2","author":"Cherry","year":"2012","edition":"4th edn","type":"book"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-76526-z","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Time of flight dual photon emission computed tomography","volume":"10","author":"Chiang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1186\/s40658-020-0271-x","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Comparison of NEMA characterizations for Discovery MI and Discovery MI-DR TOF PET\/CT systems at different sites and with other commercial PET\/CT systems","volume":"7","author":"Chicheportiche","year":"2020","journal-title":"EJNMMI Phys."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1109\/TBME.1977.326122","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Three-dimensional imaging of multimillimeter sized cold lesions by focusing collimator coincidence scanning (FCCS)","volume":"24","author":"Hart","year":"1977","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4543","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/49\/19\/007","type":"journal-article","article-title":"GATE: a simulation toolkit for PET and SPECT","volume":"49","author":"Jan","year":"2004","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib7","author":"Krane","year":"1987","type":"book"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10484","DOI":"10.3390\/s101110484","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Photo-detectors for time of flight positron emission tomography (ToF-PET)","volume":"10","author":"Levin","year":"2010","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib9","first-page":"48","type":"report","article-title":"Tests of GSO scintillator in: annual reports: nuclear phys division","author":"Matulewicz","year":"1996"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib10","first-page":"165","type":"other","article-title":"Three-dimensional imaging of radionuclide distribution by gamma-gamma coincidence detection in: tomographic imaging in nuclear medicine","author":"Monahan","year":"1972"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee","type":"other","article-title":"Monte Carlo Simulation Model of a Non-Time-of-Flight and Collimator-Free Tomographic Imaging System based on Non-Collinear Cascade Gamma-Ray Emissions","author":"Mwita","year":"2026"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib12","article-title":"Performance measurements of positron emission tomographs (PET)","author":"National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)","year":"2018","type":"book"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib13","article-title":"Nuclear Structure & Decay Data (Nudat3), Authored by Balraj Singh and Jun Chen: Nuclear Data Sheets 126, 1 (2015) for 43K;","author":"National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC)","year":"2026a","type":"web-resource"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib14","article-title":"Nuclear Structure & Decay Data (NuDat3), Authored by Balraj Singh and Jun Chen: Nuclear Data Sheets 158, 1 (2019) for 73Se;","author":"National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC)","year":"2026b","type":"web-resource"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib15","article-title":"Nuclear Structure & Decay Data (NuDat3), Authored by Jean Blachot: Nuclear Data Sheets 110, 1239 (2009) for 111In;","author":"National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC)","year":"2026c","type":"web-resource"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib16","article-title":"Nuclear Structure & Decay Data (NuDat3), Authored by F.G. Kondev: Nuclear Data Sheets 159, 1 (2019) for 177Lu;","author":"National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC)","year":"2026d","type":"web-resource"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib17","article-title":"Design and Development of a Non-Collinear Gamma Cascade Correlation Based Medical Imaging System","author":"Nkuba","year":"2024","type":"other"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.52339\/tjet.v41i4.863","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Review of the Imaging Performance and the Current Status of the Cascade Gamma-Rays Coincidence Imagers","volume":"41","author":"Nkuba","year":"2023","journal-title":"Tanz. J. Eng. Technol."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"01","DOI":"10.15392\/2319-0612.2025.2573","type":"journal-article","article-title":"A Monte Carlo simulation study on the design and optimization of collimators for non-collinear cascade gamma-ray correlation emissions in medical imaging","volume":"13","author":"Nkuba","year":"2025","journal-title":"Braz. J. Radiat. Sci."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"01","DOI":"10.15392\/2319-0612.2026.3031","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Monte Carlo simulations study of non-collinear gamma-ray cascade correlation emissions for medical imaging","volume":"14","author":"Nkuba","year":"2026","journal-title":"Braz. J. Radiat. Sci."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"567","DOI":"10.1007\/s40042-026-01645-1","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Three dimensional position reconstruction of a cascade gamma ray emitting source based on geometric back projection through the angle of incidence","volume":"88","author":"Nkuba","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Korean Phys. Soc."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1088\/1748-0221\/18\/05\/C05010","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Collimator design for gamma ray cascade angular correlations in medical imaging","volume":"18","author":"Olshanoski","year":"2023","journal-title":"JINST"},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1088\/2057-1976\/aad572","type":"journal-article","article-title":"A Monte Carlo simulation of coincidence detection and imaging of gamma ray cascades with a scintillation camera","volume":"4","author":"Pahlka","year":"2018","journal-title":"Biomed. Phys. Eng. Express."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpc.2019.107131","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Full 3D position reconstruction of a radioactive source based on a novel hyperbolic geometrical algorithm","volume":"252","author":"Panaino","year":"2019","journal-title":"Comput. Phys. Commun."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.radphyschem.2024.111653","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Monte Carlo simulation of two Siemens Biograph PET\/CT system using GATE: image quality performance","volume":"218","author":"Saaidi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Radiat. Phys. Chem."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10TR03","DOI":"10.1088\/1361-6560\/abf276","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Advanced Monte Carlo simulations of emission tomography imaging systems with GATE","volume":"66","author":"Sarrut","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"649","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/15\/4\/004","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Studies on three-dimensional scintigraphy with gamma\u2014gamma\u2014coincidences","volume":"15","author":"Schmitz-Feuerhake","year":"1970","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2478\/bioal-2022-0080","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Double photon emission coincidence imaging using GAGG-SiPM pixel detectors","volume":"12","author":"Shimazoe","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Instrum."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-92583-4","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Simultaneous multi-nuclide imaging via double-photon coincidence method with parallel hole collimators","volume":"11","author":"Uenomachi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1495","DOI":"10.1088\/0031-9155\/27\/12\/008","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Advances in \u03b3-\u03b3-coincidence scintigraphy with the scintillation camera","volume":"27","author":"Von Boetticher","year":"1982","journal-title":"Phys. Med. Biol."},{"key":"bpexaeaeeebib31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1063\/1.4929329","type":"journal-article","article-title":"Development of a prototype Open-close positron emission tomography system","volume":"86","author":"Yamamoto","year":"2015","journal-title":"Rev. Sci. Instrum."}],"container-title":["Biomedical Physics &amp; Engineering Express"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"am","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"similarity-checking"},{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee\/pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T10:52:41Z","timestamp":1792666361000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/iopscience.iop.org\/article\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/2057-1976\/aeaeee","relation":{},"ISSN":["2057-1976"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2057-1976","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Influence of radionuclide cascade decay characteristics on non-collinear coincidence imaging performance: a GATE-based Monte Carlo simulation study","name":"article_title","label":"Article Title"},{"value":"Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express","name":"journal_title","label":"Journal Title"},{"value":"paper","name":"article_type","label":"Article Type"},{"value":"\u00a9 2026 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.","name":"copyright_information","label":"Copyright Information"},{"value":"2026-05-24","name":"date_received","label":"Date Received","group":{"name":"publication_dates","label":"Publication dates"}},{"value":"2026-10-01","name":"date_accepted","label":"Date Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_dates","label":"Publication dates"}},{"value":"2026-10-22","name":"date_epub","label":"Online publication date","group":{"name":"publication_dates","label":"Publication dates"}}]}}