Multi-tracer Compton imaging by a newly developed Si/CdTe Compton camera

Kawachi, Naoki; Watanabe, Shigeki; Fujimaki, Shu; Ishioka, Noriko; Arakawa, Kazuo; Takeda, Shinichiro*; Ishikawa, Shinnosuke*; Aono, Hiroyuki*; Watanabe, Shin*; Takahashi, Tadayuki*; Shimada, Hirofumi*; Yoshida, Yukari*; Suzuki, Yoshiyuki*; Nakano, Takashi*

We have developed a Compton camera by using Si and CdTe semiconductors. The prototype Compton camera head consists of a double-sided Si strip detector (DSSD) module as the scatter detector and 4- layered 16 CdTe pixel detector modules as the absorber detector. The dimensions of the DSSD module are area, 2.56 2.56 cm; thickness, 500 m; and strip pitch, 400 m. The dimensions of the CdTe pixel detector are area, 1.35 1.35 cm; thickness, 500 m; and pixel size, 1.35 mm. The high-energy resolution detectors (DSSD: E/E, 2.5%; CdTe: E/E, 1%) detect the Compton scatter events of the incident -rays and consequently, image the radioactive multinuclide tracers. We evaluated the distributions of sensitivity and spatial resolution and performed a rat study wherein 3 tracers were administered concurrently. The lines of point-source data were found to indicate a distribution of spatial resolutions and efficiencies in the field of view (FOV) in this experimental design, and a characteristic distribution in the Compton camera FOV was observed. The nuclides in the rat body were distinguished by the -ray energies; each tracer in vivo could be imaged distinctly, and the difference in distributions of the nuclides could be visualized.