A Monte Carlo investigation into the fundamental limitations of digital β-autoradiography: Considerations for detector design

The aim of this work is to identify the most important design parameters for an imaging sensor to be used in digital autoradiography. Using Monte Carlo simulations we have shown that proximity between source and sample is critical for obtaining optimal image resolution. For ³H imaging, assuming no air gap, the image resolution is largely independent of epitaxial thickness, as might be expected due to the very short range of emitted beta electrons. However, for ¹⁴C imaging, there is a weak dependence on epitaxial thickness, with observed resolution varying at best from 13-18 mum over epitaxial thickness of 1-40 mum.