Gamma camera

The gamma camera (also called the Anger camera, after its inventor, Hal Anger, rarely referred to as Szintigraph ) is a diagnostic device in nuclear medicine.

With the help of these long-term camera distribution pattern of γ - emitting radionuclides (eg 131Iod or 99mTc) can be represented in patients who can give the doctor information about pathological changes. The gamma camera has an array like array of scintillation counters, so that ultimately a spatial resolution structure arises because the isotopic clusters in the human body are presented. ( Markers ) gamma cameras consist of collimator aperture, scintillator, light guide and photomultiplier. The choice of the collimator is done depending on the energy of the radionuclide used and the desired image resolution.

The image that is created with a gamma camera is called scintigram or scintigraphy ( see there for specific applications).

Precursor of the gamma camera was common in the sixties scanner, the original imaging device in nuclear medicine: A so-called scanner head - consisting of ( exchangeable ) lead collimator, scintillator ( Encapsulated Tl- doped NaI crystal ), light guide (eg silicone grease ), photomultiplier and preamplifier - moved linearly over the organ to be examined and registered in this case the regional radiation intensity. This was implemented in the photomultiplier into a corresponding electrical Impulsdidchte and finally (possibly also coded in color) as a more or less dense line pattern on paper.