Small prototype gamma camera based on wavelength-shifting fibres

Abstract

We are studying and developing a small field of view gamma camera based on wavelength-shifting optical fibres coupled to both sides of an inorganic scintillation crystal and using for the light readout highly sensitive photon detectors, namely silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and high efficiency multi-anode photomultiplier tubes (MaPMTs). The coupling of the fibres in orthogonal directions allows obtaining 2D position information, while the energy signal is provided by a PMT. A first prototype laboratory system has been developed using a custom-made 50 × 50 × 3 mm3 CsI(Na) crystal with embedded 1 mm diameter fibres and reading out the light from several fibres in each direction, both with individual SiPMs and with a MaPMT. Proof-of-concept studies and results obtained with these systems using 57Co are presented and compared. The application of optical fibres combined with highly sensitive SiPMs or MaPMTs as light sensors in a compact gamma camera has the potential to improve the spatial resolution to the 1-2 mm FWHM level, thus improving the sensitivity of typical scintigraphy techniques and making such camera clinically useful. Results demonstrate the feasibility and imaging capability of the system using both types of photon detectors for imaging. In the case of SiPMs, a temperature cooling system is necessary to improve the SNR and consequently achieve a better imaging performance. The development of larger prototypes with 10 × 10 cm2 and 12 × 12 cm2 is under way, using 1 mm2 SiPMs and 64 anode PMTs, respectively.