[en] The CaLIPSO project aims to develop a high precision brain-scanning PET device with time-of-flight capability. The proposed device uses an innovative liquid, the TriMethyl Bismuth, as the detection medium. It detects simultaneously the ionization and optical signals from the 511 keV gamma conversion. In this paper we present the design, the Monte Carlo simulation, and the tests results for the CaLIPSO optical prototype. In this prototype we demonstrated the ability to detect efficiently the low number of the optical photons produced by the relativistic electron from the gamma conversion through the Cherenkov effect. The time resolution of the current prototype is limited by the moderate time transition spread of the PMT, but should be improved to the level better than 100 ps (FWHM) by using micro-channel-plate PMT according to the Geant 4 simulation.