Optimizing pinhole and parallel hole collimation for scintimammography with compact pixellated detectors

The relative resolution and sensitivity advantages of pinhole and parallel hole collimators for planar scintimammography with compact, pixellated gamma detectors were investigated using analytic models. Collimator design was studied as follows. A desired object resolution was specified for a pixellated detector with a given crystal size and intrinsic spatial resolution and for a given object-to-collimator distance. Using analytic formulas, pinhole and parallel hole collimator parameters were calculated that satisfy this object resolution with optimal geometric sensitivity. Analyses were performed for 15 cm × 20 cm field of view detectors with crystal elements 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mm on a side and 140 keV incident photons. The sensitivity for a given object resolution was greater for pinhole collimation at smaller distances, as expected. The object distance at which the pinhole and parallel hole sensitivity curves cross each other is important. The crossover distances increased with larger crystal size for a constant object resolution and increased as the desired object resolution decreased for a constant crystal size. For example, for 4 mm object resolution and a pinhole collimator with focal length 13 cm, these distances were 5.5 cm, 6.5 cm, and 8 cm for the 1 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm crystal detectors, respectively. The results suggest a strategy of parallel hole collimation for whole breast imaging and pinhole collimation for imaging focal uptake. This could be accomplished with a dual detector system with a different collimator type on each head or a single head system equipped with two collimators and a rapid switching mechanism.