title: Single tube gamma camera for scintimammography.
abstract: The development of large area Position Sensitive Photo Multiplier Tubes (PSPMT) by Hamamatsu is opening new imaging possibilities in Nuclear Medicine. In particular the realization of the 8" PSPMT prototype represents the first important technological advantage since the discovery of the Anger Camera. PSPMT virtually integrates in one hundreds PMT allowing the creation of dedicated detectors. A Single Tube Gamma Camera based on a 5" PSPMT dedicated to scintimammography is presented and discussed in this work. To optimize gamma camera response two different scintillating arrays were tested: YAP:Ce and CsI (Tl). Their overall size cover all photocathode active area, and crystal pixel size was 2 mm x 2 mm. The detection efficiency was comparable to that of Anger Camera. The best result was obtained by CsI (Tl) scintillating: an intrinsic spatial resolution of 1.6 mm FWHM and a relative energy resolution of 17% FWHM. New image possibilities in scintimammography are offered by Single Tube Gamma Camera operating in the same radiological projection of RX mammography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scopinaro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soluri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pergola
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Vincentis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ierardi
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Weinberg
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012588:Scintillation Counting; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity