Influence of scattered gamma rays by body trunk on image quality of Si/CdTe Semiconductor Compton Camera for Medical and Biological Applications

• Published in: Transactions of Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering Vol. 52; no. Supplement; p. O-496
• Main Authors: Sakai, Makoto, Kikuchi, Mikiko, Torikai, Kota, Arakawa, Kazuo, Yamaguchi, Mitsutaka, Nagao, Yuto, Kawachi, Naoki, Fujimaki, Syu, Kamiya, Tomihiro, Odaka, Hirokazu, Kokubun, Motohide, Takeda, Shin'ichiro, Watanabe, Shin, Takahashi, Tadayuki, Nakano, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society for Medical and Biological Engineering 2014
• ISSN: 1347-443X; 1881-4379
• DOI: 10.11239/jsmbe.52.O-496

We are currently developing a Compton camera apparatus for use as a novel imaging modality of nuclear medicine. It is based on the advanced technology used in Si/CdTe semiconductor Compton cameras developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. In this study, the influence of scattered gamma rays by body trunk on image quality was evaluated using the developed Compton camera and a NEMA IEC body phantom. Na-22, Co-57 or Ba-133 gamma point source, which emit 511 keV, 122 keV or 356 keV respectively, was placed at the center of the body phantom. We compared the Compton images taken with the empty phantom and taken with the phantom filled with water. The image quality was degraded notably although the position resolution was not decreased. This is thought to be aftereffects of the reduction of the number of Compton events, broadening of the energy spectral region and the increase of the background.