A high-speed, pressurised multi-wire gamma camera for dynamic imaging in nuclear medicine

High count rate detectors are of particular interest in nuclear medicine as they permit lower radiation doses to be received by the patient and allow dynamic images of high statistical quality to be obtained. e developed a high-speed gamma camera based on a multi-wire proportional chamber. The chamber is filled with a xenon gas mixture and has been operated at pressures ranging from 5 to 10 bar. With an active imaging area of 25 cm×25 cm, the chamber has been equipped with an advanced, high rate, digital, electronic read-out system which carries out pulse shaping, energy discrimination, XY coincidence and cluster selection at speeds of up to a few megahertz. In order to ensure stable, long-term operation of the camera without degradation in performance, a gas purification system was designed and integrated into the camera. Measurements have been carried out to determine the properties and applicability of the camera using photon sources in the 20–120 keV energy range. sent some design features of the camera and selected results obtained from preliminary measurements carried out to measure its performance characteristics. Initial images obtained from the camera will also be presented.