Comparison of two position sensitive gamma-ray detectors based on continuous YAP and pixellated NaI(TI) for nuclear medical imaging applications

Dedicated position sensitive gamma-ray detectors based on position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs) coupled to scintillation crystals, have been used for the construction of compact gamma-ray imaging systems, suitable for nuclear medical imaging applications such as small animal imaging and single organ imaging and scintimammography. In this work, the performance of two gamma-ray detectors：a continuous YAP scintillation crystal coupled to a Hamamastu R2486 PSPMT and a pixellated NaI(TI) scintillation array crystal coupled to the same PSPMT, is compared. The results show that the gamma-ray detector based on a pixellated NaI(TI) scintillation array crystal is a promising candidate for nuclear medical imaging applications, since their performance in terms of position linearity, spatial resolution and effective field of view (FOV) is superior than that of the gamma-ray detector based on a continuous YAP scintillation crystal. However, a better photodetector (Hamamatau H8500 Flat Panel PMT, for example) coupled to the continuous crystal is also likely a good selection for nuclear medicine imaging applications.     

Comparison of two position sensitive gamma-ray detectors based on continuous YAP and pixellated NaI(TI) for nuclear medical imaging applications

Dedicated position sensitive gamma-ray detectors based on position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs) coupled to scintillation crystals, have been used for the construction of compact gamma-ray imaging systems, suitable for nuclear medical imaging applications such as small animal imaging and single organ imaging and scintimammography. In this work, the performance of two gamma-ray detectors: a continuous YAP scintillation crystal coupled to a Hamamastu R2486 PSPMT and a pixellated NaI(TI) scintillation array crystal coupled to the same PSPMT, is compared. The results show that the gamma-ray detector based on a pixellated NaI(TI) scintillation array crystal is a promising candidate for nuclear medical imaging applications,since their performance in terms of position linearity, spatial resolution and effective field of view (FOV) is superior than that of the gamma-ray detector based on a continuous YAP scintillation crystal. However, a better photodetector (Hamamatau H8500 Flat Panel PMT, for example) coupled to the continuous crystal is also likely a good selection for nuclear medicine imaging applications.