Comparison of photon counting and conventional scintillation detectors in a pinhole SPECT system for small animal imaging: Monte carlo simulation studies

Abstract

The photon counting detector based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) or cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) is a promising imaging modality that provides many benefits compared to conventional scintillation detectors. By using a pinhole collimator with the photon counting detector, we were able to improve both the spatial resolution and the sensitivity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the photon counting and conventional scintillation detectors in a pinhole single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system. We designed five pinhole SPECT systems of two types: one type with a CdTe photon counting detector and the other with a conventional NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. We conducted simulation studies and evaluated imaging performance. The results demonstrated that the spatial resolution of the CdTe photon counting detector was 0.38 mm, with a sensitivity 1.40 times greater than that of a conventional NaI(Tl) scintillation detector for the same detector thickness. Also, the average scatter fractions of the CdTe photon counting and the conventional NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors were 1.93% and 2.44%, respectively. In conclusion, we successfully evaluated various pinhole SPECT systems for small animal imaging.