The “IMI” project: an advanced gamma camera for scintimammography

The specific aim of the IMI project is the development of a new concept gamma camera specifically designed for the functional breast imaging. Such diagnostic technique is performed administering to the patient radiopharmaceuticals. It is able to distinguish malignant from benign tumors. The gamma camera prototype developed in the IMI project is very compact and with light weight to be easily positioned in the same X-ray geometry. The final detection head consists of a photodetector based on 42 Hamamatsu 1 in. square PSPMTs closely packed and coupled to a NaI(Tl) scintillating array with individual crystal pixel size of 1.8 mm. Photodetector and the electronic read-out were especially designed to optimize the spatial resolution and the minimum lesion contrast sensitivity for tumors as small as 5 mm size.