Abstract
This study aims to investigate the potential use of LaBr 3 :Ce and LaCl 3 :Ce materials in SPECT imaging. GATE Monte Carlo simulations of single-head gamma camera and a 99 Tc m point source were performed to evaluate the energy spectra, modulation transfer function (MTF) and detection efficiency. A range of Ce concentrations (0.5, 5, 10 and 15)% of LaBr 3 :Ce and LaCl 3 :Ce crystals was simulated in conjunction with efficiency calculation to find optimal concentration for SPECT imaging. The MTF curves showed the excellent MTF performance of LaCl 3 and LaBr 3 particularly at low frequencies. The intrinsic efficiency results demonstrated the superiority of LaBr 3 :Ce crystals with respect to LaCl 3 :Ce and Nal(Tl). Results also suggest that higher Ce concentrations for both LaBr 3 :Ce and LaCl 3 :Ce crystals only slightly improve intrinsic efficiency. In conclusion, because LaCl 3 :Ce and LaBr 3 :Ce combine excellent MTF performance with increased intrinsic efficiency, they have the potential to replace Nal(Tl) as the scintillators of choice for SPECT.