SINGLE TUBE GAMMA-CAMERA FOR SCINTIMAMMOGRAPHY

The development of large area Position Sensitive Photo Multiplier Tube s (PSPMT) by Hamamatsu is opening new imaging possibilities in Nuclear Medicine. In particular the realization of the 8'' PSPMT prototype re presents the first imporitant technological advantage since the discov ery of the Anger Camera. PSPMT virtually integrates in one hundreds PM T allowing the creation of dedicated detectors. A Single Tube Gamma Ca mera based on a 5'' PSPMT dedicated to scintimammography is presented and discussed in this work. To optimize gamma camera response two diff erent scintillating arrays were tested: YAP:Ce and CsI (Tl). Their ove rall size cover all photocathode active al ea, and crystal pixel size was 2 mm x 2 mm. The defection efficiency was comparable to that of An ger Camera. The best result was obtained by CsI (Tl) scintillating: an intrinsic spatial Resolution of 1.6 mm FWHM and a relative energy res olution of 17% FWHM New image possibilities in scintimammography are o ffered by Single Tube Gamma Camera operating in the same radiological projection of RX mammography.