Estimation of Compton imager using single 3D position-sensitive LYSO scintillator: Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract

The performance of a Compton imager using a single three-dimensional position-sensitive LYSO scintillator detector was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation. The Compton imager consisted of a single LYSO scintillator with a pixelized structure. The size of the scintillator and each pixel were 1.3 × 1.3 × 1.3 cm³ and 0.3 × 0.3 × 0.3 cm³, respectively. The order of γ-ray interactions was determined based on the deposited energies in each detector. After the determination of the interaction sequence, various types of reconstruction algorithms such as simple back-projection, filtered back-projection, and list-mode maximum-likelihood expectation maximization (LM-MLEM) were applied and compared with each other in terms of their angular resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for several γ-ray energies. The LM-MLEM reconstruction algorithm exhibited the best performance for Compton imaging in maintaining high angular resolution and SNR. The two sources of ¹³⁷Cs (662 keV) could be distinguishable if they were more than 17° apart. The reconstructed Compton images showed the precise position and distribution of various radiation isotopes, which demonstrated the feasibility of the monitoring of nuclear materials in homeland security and radioactive waste management applications.