A new design for a high resolution, high efficiency CZT gamma camera detector

We have designed a CZT gamma camera detector that provides an array of CZT pixels and associated front-end electronics - including an ASIC - and permi ts gamma camera measurements using the method patented by CEA-LETI and repo rted by Verger et al. [1]. Electron response in each CZT pixel is registere d by correcting pulse height for position of interaction based on fast rise -time information. This method brings advantages of high scatter rejection while allowing high detection efficiency. These techniques and the systems approach have been developed at CEA-LETI in an exclusive joint development with BICRON and CRISMATEC who in turn are commercializing the technology. T he initial system is implemented in an array framework with 1920 pixels, ap proximately 180 x 215 mm(2) in dimension, but the system architecture expan ds readily to 4096 pixels, and these arrays can be ganged into groups of up to 8 for pixel planes totaling over 32 000 pixels without architecture cha nges. The overall system design is described and brain phantom images are p resented that were obtained by scanning with a small number of pixels. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.