Preliminary study of triple photon coincidence imaging technique

Preliminary study of triple photon coincidence imaging technique (TPCIT) is presented for two imaging modes of angular unconstrained and constrained coincidence triple photons. The angular unconstrained triple photon coincidence mode reconstructs source distribution by small source volume fields (= l.Oxl.Oxl.O cm 3), each of which is specified by the intersection of three hollow cones generated from a triple photon coincidene event. Each hollow cone represents a source probability field of a photon undergoing an electronic collimation of scattering-absorption process. The angular constrained triple photon coincidence mode determines two small source volume fields from each triple photon coincidence event. The two volume fields are specified by the intersections of a hollow cone generated by a photon and a solid cylinder generated by another two photons from a positron annihilation with 180 degrees constaint. A truncated spherical detector system for brain imaging studies is proposed for quantitative analysis on resolution, sensitivity, and signal to noise ratio. The nuclear isotope of Hf 72 f°r the angular unconstrained TPCIT and Cs 55 for the angular constrained TPCIT are, among many other isotopes, used for quantitative calculation. A comparison of the proposed imaging system with customary SPECT and PET is reported.