Feasibility of a high-speed gamma-camera design using the high-yield-pileup-event-recovery method

Higher count-rate gamma cameras than are currently used are needed if the t echnology is to fulfill its promise in positron coincidence imaging, radion uclide therapy dosimetry imaging, and cardiac first-pass imaging. The prese nt single-crystal design coupled with conventional detector electronics and the traditional Anger-positioning algorithm hinder higher count-rate imagi ng because of the pileup of gamma -ray signals in the detector and electron ics. At an interaction rate of 2 million events per second, the fraction of nonpileup events is <20% of the total incident events, Hence, the recovery of pileup events can significantly increase the count-rate capability, inc rease the yield of imaging photons, and minimize image artifacts associated with pileups. A new technology to significantly enhance the performance of gamma cameras in this area is introduced. Methods: We introduce a new elec tronic design called high-yield-pileup-event-recovery (HYPER) electronics f or processing the detector signal in gamma cameras so that the individual < gamma> energies and positions of pileup events, including multiple pileups, can be resolved and recovered despite the mixing of signals. To illustrate the feasibility of the design concept, we have developed a small gamma-cam era prototype with the HYPER-Anger electronics, The camera has a 10 x 10 x 1 cm Nal(TI) crystal with four:photomultipliers. Hot-spot and line sources with very high Tc-99m activities were imaged. The phantoms were imaged cont inuously from 60,000 to 3,500,000 counts per second to illustrate the effic acy of the method as a function of counting rates. Results: At 2-3 million events per second, all phantoms were imaged with little distortion, pileup, and dead-time loss. At these counting rates, multiple pileup events (great er than or equal to3 events piling together) were the predominate occurrenc es, and the HYPER circuit functioned well to resolve and recover these even ts, The full width at half maximum of the line-spread function at 3,000,000 counts per second was 1.6 times that at 60,000 counts per second. Conclusi on: This feasibility study showed that the HYPER electronic concept works; it can significantly increase the count-rate capability and dose efficiency of gamma cameras. In a larger clinical camera, multiple HYPER-Anger circui ts may be implemented to further improve the imaging counting rates that we have shown by multiple times. This technology would facilitate the use of gamma cameras for radionuclide therapy dosimetry imaging, cardiac first-pas s imaging, and positron coincidence imaging and the simultaneous acquisitio n of transmission and emission data using different isotopes with less cros s-contamination between transmission and emission data.