In this research, using direct measurements and Monte Carlo calculations, the potential dose reduction achieved by bismuth shielding in computed tomography was evaluated. The patient dose was measured using an ionisation chamber in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) phantom that had five measurement points at the centre and periphery. Simulations were performed using the MCNPX code. For both the bare and the bismuth-shielded phantom, the differences of dose values between experiment and simulation were within 9 %. The dose reductions due to the bismuth shielding were 1.2–55 % depending on the measurement points, X-ray tube voltage and the type of shielding. The amount of dose reduction was significant for the positions covered by the bismuth shielding (34 − 46 % for head and 41 − 55 % for body phantom on average) and negligible for other peripheral positions. The artefact on the reconstructed images were minimal when the distance between the shielding and the organs was >1 cm, and hence the shielding should be selectively located to protect critical organs such as the eye lens, thyroid and breast. The simulation results using the PMMA phantom was compared with those using a realistically voxelised phantom (KTMAN-2). For eye and breast, the simulation results using the PMMA and KTMAN-2 phantoms were similar with each other, while for thyroid the simulation results were different due to the discrepancy of locations and the sizes of the phantoms. The dose reductions achieved by bismuth and lead shielding were compared with each other and the results showed that the difference of the dose reductions achieved by the two materials was less than 2–3 %.

We developed a robust and low-cost array of virtual Frisch-grid CdZnTe detectors coupled to a front-end readout application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays. The array operates as a self-reliant detector module. It is comprised of 36 close-packed 6 × 6 × 15 mm³ detectors grouped into 3 × 3 sub-arrays of 2 × 2 detectors with the common cathodes. The front-end analog ASIC accommodates up to 36 anode and 9 cathode inputs. Several detector modules can be integrated into a single- or multi-layer unit operating as a Compton or a coded-aperture camera. We present the results from testing two fully assembled modules and readout electronics. The further enhancement of the arrays’ performance and reduction of their cost are possible by using position-sensitive virtual Frisch-grid detectors, which allow for accurate corrections of the response of material non-uniformities caused by crystal defects.

Scintillator-based Compton cameras, which comprise of separated scatter and absorption detectors, neglect the Compton scattering that is followed by a photoelectric effect in a single set of scintillators, wherein the detection efficiency is severely limited. In this study, we propose a three-dimensional position-sensitive Compton camera that uses a single set of scintillators, wherein radiation interactions inside the scintillator can be discriminated. The proposed Compton camera comprises a segmented lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate scintillator coupled with two position-sensitive silicon photomultipliers on both sides. Compton image reconstruction algorithms, such as simple back-projection, list-mode maximum likelihood expectation maximization, and filtered back-projection, were applied and compared. The single position-sensitive Compton camera identified the positions of multiple radiation sources with various energies in a 4π field of view. The SNR and FWHM of a reconstructed 511 keV point source were approximately 12 and 22° after maximum likelihood expectation maximization was applied, and the two 511 keV sources with an angle difference of 40° were separately reconstructed. The intrinsic efficiency of the proposed Compton camera was 2.23 × 10-2 for 511 keV.

Since computed tomography (CT) was introduced about 40 y ago, its use has continuously grown, resulting in the increase of the CT dose. Therefore, an awareness of the CT dose and its potential complications has led to the development of several dose—reduction strategies. One of the strategies is automatic exposure control (AEC), which modulates radiation intensity depending on the patient size, z-axis thickness (Z-DOM) or angular thickness (D-DOM). Another dose—reduction method is the in-plane bismuth shield which attenuates radiation to reduce the CT doses of the tissues underneath the shield. We evaluated and compared the dose reduction and image quality of CT for various dose—reduction techniques. The result showed that both AEC and the in-plane shield reduced the CT dose effectively and the combined method of AEC and in-plane shielding reduced the CT dose more than the single use of AEC or in-plane shields. The dose reduction using Z-DOM was normally higher than that using D-DOM. The image quality of CT dramatically degraded when the in-plane shield was directly attached to the phantom without using AEC. In order to effectively reduce CT dose without the significant degradation of the image quality, the in-plane shield should be placed 1 cm apart from the patient with applying AEC control.

Background: Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) is a promising material because of a high detection efficiency, good energy resolution, and operability at room temperature. However, the cost of CZT dramatically increases as its size increases. In this study, to achieve a large effective volume with relatively low cost, an array structure comprised of individual virtual Frisch-grid CZT detectors was proposed. Materials and Methods: The prototype consisted of 2 × 2 CZTs, a holder, anode and cathode printed circuit boards (PCBs), and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). CZTs were used and the non-contacting shielding electrode method was applied for virtual Frisch-grid effect. An ASIC was used, and the holder and the PCBs were fabricated. In the current system, because the CZTs formed a common cathode, a total of 5 channels were assigned for data processing. Results and Discussion: An experiment using 137 Cs at room temperature was conducted for 10 minutes. Energy and timing information was acquired and the depth of interaction was calculated by the timing difference between the signals of both electrodes. Based on obtained three-dimensional position information, the energy correction was carried out, and as a result the energy spectra showed the improvements. In addition, a Compton image was reconstructed using the iterative method. Conclusion: The virtual Frisch-grid CZT detector based on the array structure was developed and the energy spectra and the Compton image were successfully acquired.