Ultracompact Compton camera for innovative gamma-ray imaging

J. Kataoka, A. Kishimoto, T. Taya, S. Mochizuki, L. Tagawa, A. Koide, K. Sueoka, H. Morita, T. Maruhashi, K. Fujieda, T. Kurihara, M. Arimoto, H. Okochi, N. Katsumi, S. Kinno, K. Matsunaga, H. Ikeda, E. Shimosegawa, J. Hatazawa, S. OhsukaT. Toshito, M. Kimura, Y. Nagao, M. Yamaguchi, K. Kurita, N. Kawachi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A multipixel photon counter (MPPC) features excellent photon-counting capability as a radiation detector. In particular, a two-plane Compton camera consisting of Ce:GAGG scintillators coupled with MPPC arrays has significant application potential owing to its compact size and low weight. For example, the camera can be easily mounted on a commercial drone to identify radiation hot spots from the sky. In Fukushima, we demonstrated that a 137Cs distribution within a 100 m diameter can be mapped correctly within a couple of tens of minutes. The advanced use of the Compton camera is also anticipated in the field of proton therapy. We evaluated an image of 511 keV annihilation gamma-rays emitted from a PMMA phantom irradiated by 200 MeV protons to mimic an in-beam monitor for proton therapy. Finally, we developed an ultracompact Compton camera (weight = 580 g), for 3-D multicolor molecular imaging. In order to demonstrate the performance capabilities of the device, 131I (365 keV), 85SrCl2 (514 keV), and 65ZnCl2 (1116 keV) were injected into a living mouse and the data were taken from 12 angles with a total acquisition time of 2 h. We confirmed that all tracers had accumulated on the target organs of the thyroid, bone, and liver, and that the obtained 3-D image was quantitatively correct with an accuracy of ±20%.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-5
Number of pages5
JournalNuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume912
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018 Dec 21
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • 3D imaging
  • Compton camera
  • Multi-Pixel photon counter (MPPC)
  • Scintillator

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics
  • Instrumentation

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