Miniature Gamma Camera for Breast Imaging

The recent availability of an entirely new gamma ray sensing material makes it possible todevelop a new nuclear imager for early detection of breast cancer. This small, lightweight imager maybe inserted in the position of a conventional mammography film plate to provide close registration ofnuclear image and mammogram. It may also be placed at other locations such as the axilla to searchfor metastases. Recent investigations indicate that the use of such an instrument in patients injectedwith an appropriate radioactive agent will improve the detection of malignancies and the ability todifferentiate benign and malignant abnormalities in the breast. The new sensing material resulted fromrecent research in crystal growth and detector manufacturing technology by this company. The primaryPhase I goal is to fabricate a cd2 x 2 cm imager, including sensing element and electronics. This willoperate as a miniature imager for use in demonstrating feasibility of the overall approach and establishingparameters for a Phase II manufacturing prototype. Phase I parameters to address include optimaldimensionality of the imaging sensor, operating voltages, and collimator configuration.