DR. AARON BERTRAND BRILL, M.D.
Medical Practice at Saint Andrews Dr, Franklin, TN

6512232, Jan 28, 2003

Dec 20, 2000

09/742867

Richard H. Pehl - Raymond WA 98577
Rex C. Trammell - Andersonville TN 37705
Aaron B. Brill - Franklin TN 37069

G01T 1166

250369, 2502521

A method and apparatus for improving the sensitivity of a position sensitive gamma ray detector and gamma camera. To obtain good position resolution, small effective detector elements are required. However, such small detector elements cause nearly all the gamma rays interacting by Compton scattering to be lost, i. e. , they will not contribute to forming the image. The method and apparatus of the present invention takes advantage of the fact that when an incoming gamma ray of known energy is completely absorbed in two separate detector elements the sum of the energy depositions identifies this gamma ray as a valid event. Furthermore, for incoming gamma rays having energies less than 511/2 keV the position where the smallest energy is deposited is the first interaction site and therefore this position can also contribute to forming the image. Alternatively, both interaction sites can be used to form the image, thus improving sensitivity but increasing background noise compared with the preferred embodiment.