Introduction: Digital PET/CT detectors are the latest technology in positron emission tomography, where the analogue photomultiplier tube has been replaced by much smaller silicon photomultipliers. These systems allow single photons to be detected, resulting in high sensitivity and low noise. Purpose: The aim of the thesis was to present digital PET/CT by means of systematic literature review, to describe how it compares with the analogue systems and to present in more detail the advantages and disadvantages of digital PET/CT scanners. Methods: In my thesis I used a descriptive method with a systematic literature review. I searched for professional and scientific articles on the Internet in various professional databases. The literature search and review were conducted from October 2022 to March 2023. The literature was selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, focusing only on articles in the English language. Results: The results are shown in two parts. The first part shows the process of the literature review, showing how I selected the articles included in the analysis. In the second part, I reviewed the selected literature in detail according to the sample characteristics, purpose, and findings. The literature includes studies performed on phantoms and patients in a clinical setting. The analysis of the articles showed that digital PET/CT systems, compared to analogue systems offer better image quality, improved lesion detectability, and the possibility of capturing diagnostically useful images while reducing data acquisition time. Discussion and conclusion: Most studies have focused on exploring the differences in technical capabilities of a digital system compared to an analogue system. The studies describe improved image quality of the digital system, which is already noticeable from a subjective visual assessment. Various analyses have demonstrated improved spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio and improved TOF and SUV. The lesion detection capabilities of the digital systems have improved significantly, resulting in greater accuracy in disease staging, prognosis, and earlier detection. Studies have shown that digital devices also offer the possibility to reduce data acquisition time and the dose of radiopharmaceutical administered, which is particularly useful in specific clinical circumstances requiring faster examinations. It should be emphasised that I did not detect any mention of technical disadvantages of digital PET/CT systems.
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