Title: A Spectroscopic Gamma-Ray Phantom

Year
2005
Author(s)
Jason Shergur - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Paul Felsher - Los Alamos National Laboratory
John M. Blackadar - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Scott E. Garner - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Sarmadi K. Almecci - Los Alamos National Laboratory
G. Rees - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Abstract
Currently there is a great emphasis in developing spectroscopic gamma-ray portal monitors to aid in automatically distinguishing between innocent alarms and potential threats. Some of the more prolific sources of innocent radiation alarms are patients who have recently undergone a nuclear medicine procedure. The attenuation and scatter processes experienced by gamma radiation as it exits the patient result in distortions to the energy spectra relative to in vitro samples of the radiopharmaceuticals. Due to the large variety of isotopes used and organs targeted in nuclear medicine procedures, it is difficult to design a single phantom that accurately reproduces the attenuation and scattering processes for all nuclear medicine procedures. We present our initial results in addressing the problem including comparing gamma-ray spectra from nuclear medicine patients to spectra obtained with various phantoms.