CdZnTe arrays for nuclear medicine imaging
- Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
In nuclear medicine, a gamma-ray-emitting radiotracer is injected into the body, and the resulting biodistribution is imaged using a gamma camera. Current gamma cameras use a design developed by Anger. An Anger camera makes use of a slab of scintillation detector that is viewed by an array of photomultiplier tubes and uses an analog position estimation technique to determine the position of the gamma ray`s interaction. The image-forming optics is usually a multi-bore collimator made of lead. Such cameras are characterized by poor, system spatial resolution ({approximately}1 cm) due to poor detector resolution ({approximately}0.4 cm) and poor collimator performance. Arrays of semiconductor detectors are an attractive alternative to scintillators for use in gamma cameras. Semiconductor detectors have excellent energy resolution. High spatial resolution is also possible because large semiconductor detector arrays with small pixel sizes can be produced using photolithography techniques. A new crystal growth technique (high-pressure vertical Bridgman) allows production of detector grade CdTe and CdZnTe in multikilogram ingots. Although the cost of CdZnTe detectors has come down substantially in the last few years, in part because of economies of scale, costs are still more than an order of magnitude higher than those required for a commercial camera ($20--$50/gram). High detector costs are perhaps the major stumbling block to developing a semiconductor gamma camera. The photolithography techniques required to make large CdZnTe arrays have already been demonstrated. This paper discusses the recent developments made in CdZnTe detectors.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- National Insts. of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 524735
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960848-; ISBN 0-8194-2247-9; TRN: 97:016726
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Denver `96: 1. conference on space processing of materials, at SPIE International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) annual international symposium on optical science, engineering, and instrumentation, Denver, CO (United States), 4-9 Aug 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Hard x-ray/gamma-ray and neutron optics, sensors, and applications; Hoover, R.B.; Doty, F.P. [eds.]; PB: 331 p.; Proceedings/SPIE, Volume 2859
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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