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 permits gamma camera measurements using the method patented by CEA-LETI and reported by Verger et al. [1]. Electron response in each CZT pixel is registered 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. The initial system is implemented in an array framework with 1920 pixels, approximately 180 x 215 mm(2) in dimension, but the system architecture expands 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 changes. The overall system design is described and brain phantom images are presented that were obtained by scanning with a small number of pixels. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.