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Photon-photon coincidence counting is a primary standardization technique used for the absolute activity measurement of short half-life radionuclides. In this study, a coincidence spectrometer based on digital signal processing was developed for the absolute standardization of 125I seed Brachytherapy. The spectrometer includes a waveform digitizer that samples at the preamplifier signals directly from two similar 2ʺ × 2ʺ NaI (Tl) detectors. The sampled signals were shaped into trapezoidal signals for pulse height analysis. These detected signals were then recorded in a list file and the software was used to recognize coincidence events. Detailed discussions were included on the formulas for determining absolute activity measurement. The activity of a 125I seed was measured and showed good agreement with the reference values. This presented technique is a quick method for measuring the activity of 125I at nuclear hospitals. The standardized source can also serve as a tracer for measuring the activity of the 109Cd source

Abstract Purpose The main objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a large field Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) camera to estimate thyroid uptake (TU) on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images with and without attenuation correction (Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC) compared with Planar acquisition in a series of 23 consecutive patients. The secondary objective was to determine radiation doses for the tracer administration and for the additional Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Methods Cross-calibration factors were determined using a thyroid phantom, for Planar, Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC images. Then Planar and SPECT/CT acquisitions centered on the thyroid were performed on 5 anthropomorphic phantoms with activity ranging from 0.4 to 10 MBq, and 23 patients after administration of 79.2 ± 3.7 MBq of [99mTc]-pertechnetate. We estimated the absolute thyroid activity (AThA) for the anthropomorphic phantoms and the TU for the patients. Radiation dose was also determined using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reports and VirtualDoseTMCT software. Results Cross-calibration factors were 66.2 ± 4.9, 60.7 ± 0.7 and 26.5 ± 0.3 counts/(MBq s), respectively, for Planar, Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC images. Theoretical and estimated AThA for Planar, Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC images were statistically highly correlated (r

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a large field Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) camera to estimate thyroid uptake (TU) on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images with and without attenuation correction (Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC) compared with Planar acquisition in a series of 23 consecutive patients. The secondary objective was to determine radiation doses for the tracer administration and for the additional Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Methods: Cross-calibration factors were determined using a thyroid phantom, for Planar, Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC images. Then Planar and SPECT/CT acquisitions centered on the thyroid were performed on 5 anthropomorphic phantoms with activity ranging from 0.4 to 10 MBq, and 23 patients after administration of 79.2 ± 3.7 MBq of [99mTc]-pertechnetate. We estimated the absolute thyroid activity (AThA) for the anthropomorphic phantoms and the TU for the patients. Radiation dose was also determined using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) reports and VirtualDoseTMCT software. Results: Cross-calibration factors were 66.2 ± 4.9, 60.7 ± 0.7 and 26.5 ± 0.3 counts/(MBq s), respectively, for Planar, Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC images. Theoretical and estimated AThA for Planar, Tomo-AC and Tomo-NoAC images were statistically highly correlated (r < 0.99; P < 10–4) and the average of the relative percentage difference between theoretical and estimated AThA were (8.6 ± 17.8), (− 1.3 ± 5.2) and (12.8 ± 5.7) %, respectively. Comparisons between TU based on different pairs of images (Planar vs Tomo-AC, Planar vs Tomo-NoAC and Tomo-AC vs Tomo-NoAC) showed statistically significant correlation (r = 0.972, 0.961 and 0.935, respectively; P < 10–3). Effective and thyroid absorbed doses were, respectively (0.34CT + 0.95NM) mSv, and (3.88CT + 1.74NM) mGy. Conclusion: AThA estimation using Planar and SPECT/CT acquisitions on a new generation of CZT large-field cameras is feasible. In addition, TU on SPECT/CT was as accurate as conventional planar acquisition, but the CT induced additional thyroid exposure. Trial registration Name of the registry: Thyroid Uptake Quantification on a New Generation of Gamma Camera (QUANTHYC). Trial number: NCT05049551. Registered September 20, 2021—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT05049551?cntry=MC&draw=2&rank=4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary standardization of radioactivity is related to the direct measurement of activity in radioactive decay. A large variety of primary standardization techniques have been developed in the past years. The photon-photon coincidence counting is one of the methods for activity determination. This method is particularly applied for the standardization of I-125 using the detection of X-ray and gamma-ray coincident counting. In this paper, a 2D photon-photon coincidence digital system with two similar 2n × 2n NaI(Tl) detectors for absolute activity measurement is developed. The system is established based on a 100 MHz CAEN waveform digitizer (DT5724) which directly records the pre-amplifier output signals of the two NaI(Tl) detectors. The sampled signals was transformed to trapezoidal signals using pulse height analyzer firmware and coincidence events were recorded in a list file. The list file was analyzed offline using a Matlab code to realize correlated gama lines of Co-60 source. The Volkovitsky formulas were used for the activity calculation and the details of the experimental setup were also discussed. Standardization of the two Co-60 standard sources was performed using this system. Results are in good agreement with the reference activity of Co-60 sources. The presented formula can be modified for absolute calibration of the other medical radioisotopes. The technique can be generalized for absolute activity measurement of I-125 which uses for ophthalmic plaque radiation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To perform an effective experimental implementation in a zero- power reactor or more generally, critical assemblies, it is necessary to measure the total neutron flux to calibrate the reactor power. The 4πβ-γ coincidence method via the activation of gold foil is a well known standard method for absolute neutron flux measurements. The absolute neutron flux is obtained by measuring the absolute activity of the irradiated gold foil, ranged in 102-104 Bq. In this method, the gold foil is irradiated at the desired position. The beta, gamma, and the coincidence rates are by using the 4πβ-γ coincidence system, and the absolute activity of gold foil is then obtained. The β-γ rays emitted from the irradiated gold foil are recorded in a concise period of tim (of the order 10-8 seconds). The advantage of this method is that the efficiency of either detector is directly dependent on the counting rates. Changing the beta detector efficiency due to the high voltage change and then measuring the beta, gamma, and coincidence counting rates, the plot of beta counting rates against the beta detector efficiencies can be introduced. By extrapolating the efficiencies to a unit value, the absolute activity of the gold foil can be obtained.

The sum-peak method principally enables determination of the absolute activity of gamma cascade emitting sources based only on the use of spectral data, without knowledge of the detector efficiencies. However, to achieve better accuracy of the activity results, corrections due to pile-up, accidental coincidences, electronic noise and angular correlations must be introduced into the proposed method. Such corrections usually require the collection of a few gamma spectra and additional extrapolations, thereby further complicating the experimental procedures. In this paper, it is shown that by using pile-up peaks for corrections of accidental coincidences, Monte Carlo techniques for angular correlation, and LLD corrections, the source activity can be measured with accuracy and reproducibility below 1% using only one gamma spectrum, without any additional extrapolations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigated the possibility of absolute source activity measurements by a single gamma spectrometer. The measurements were performed for three (point, cylinder and Marinelly shaped) calibrated 152Eu sources. Making use of data on peak, sum-peak and total spectrum area in the single spectrum, we developed the activity determination method based on the dominant gamma cascades in the 152Eu decay. We have shown that spectral data of 152Eu point and Marinelli shaped source can yield activity information with uncertainty below 10%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The sum-peak counting method was applied for 125I absolute activity measurement. Count rate-dependent corrections for random summing and dead time effects were experimentally determined at different count rates and in several experimental conditions. Two NaI(Tl) crystals of different volumes were used. They were connected to pulse recording systems with different characteristics, with or without pile-up rejection live-time corrector circuits (PUR/LTC). A theoretical model was proposed to explain the different behaviours found experimentally. It is shown that count rate-dependent effects are drastically reduced by the use of PUR/LTC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]