A Study on the Optimization of Optical Guide of Gamma Camera Detector

An optical guide, which is a light guide located between NaI(Tl) scintillation-crystal and array of photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs) in the gamma camera detector system, is an essential component to deliver the spatial information recorded in scintillator to the PMTs. Without the optical guide, the spatial information within the range of a single PMT could not be obtained. For the design of the optimal optical guide, it is necessary to characterize its properties, especially sensitivity and spatial resolution of detector. In this study, the thickness and the refractive index of optical guide, which affect not only on the sensitivity but also on the spatial resolution of gamma-camera detector, were investigated by using Monte Carlo simulation. A 12”×12”×3/8” NaI(Tl) and 23 PMTs with each 5” diameter were considered as a gamma-camera detector components. Interactions of optical photons in the scintillator and the optical guide were simulated using a commercial code DETECT97, and the spatial resolution, mainly interfered by the intrinsic inward distortion within the PMT, was investigated using our own ANGER program, which was developed to calculate positions of incident photons in the gamma camera. From the simulation results, it was found that an optical guide with 1.6 of refractive index and 10 mm of thickness give maximum sensitivity and minimum spatial distortion, respectively.