Design of a Low-Dose, Stationary, Tomographic Molecular Breast Imaging System Using 3-D Position Sensitive CZT Detectors

Molecular breast imaging (MBI) has been shown to have high sensitivity for lesion detection, particularly in patients with dense breasts where conventional mammography is limited. However, relatively radiation dose and long time are limiting factors. Most current MBI systems based on planar imaging. Improved performance can be achieved using tomographic techniques, which normally involve detector motion. Our goal develop a low-dose stationary system similar or better terms of detection compared MBI. The proposed utilizes two opposing cadmium zinc telluride detectors intrinsic resolution depth interaction (DOI) capability, combined densely packed multipinhole collimators. This leads improved efficiency adequate angular sampling, but also significant multiplexing (MX), result artefacts. We developed de-MX algorithms that take advantage the DOI information. performed both analytic Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate feasibility, optimize design investigate expected system. Lesion detectability was preserved reduction acquisition (or dose) by factor 2 images at lowest reported dose. first prototype under evaluation Kromek.