Multiple molecular simultaneous imaging in a live mouse using semiconductor Compton camera

Abstract

We have demonstrated the feasibility of semiconductor Compton cameras for multiple molecular imaging in nuclear medicine. The Compton camera used in this work comprises two double-sided orthogonal-strip germanium detectors, and their excellent energy resolution enabled discrimination of the nuclides and accurate determination of the scattering angle for γ rays in wide energy range. Three radioactive tracers of ⁶⁵ZnCl₂, ⁸⁵SrCl₂, and iodinated (¹³¹I) methylnorcholestenol were injected to a living mouse and were measured simultaneously. Both two- and three-dimensional images of each tracer were obtained by a fixed-angle imaging with a single Compton camera, which reflected the different in vivo behavior of them.