Effect of collimator design and anode dimensions on gamma-cameras based on pixelated CdZnTe

Breast specific gamma-ray imaging has shown great promise as an adjunct modality in breast cancer diagnosis. Recent studies using dedicated gamma-cameras employing pixelated CdZnTe detectors with optimized collimator configuration demonstrated that breast-specific gamma-imaging systems can resolve lesions as small as 0.6 cm. In the current study, an optimized detector-collimator combination is investigated taking into consideration collimator design as well as parameters previously ignored such as pixel and electrode dimensions, space charge and signal induction at the electrodes. The imaging system performance is computationally assessed in terms of count-rates and spatial resolution obtained from line source acquisitions. Current results suggest that pixel and electrode dimensions, space charge and collimator design separately can have a significant impact on the performance of the system.