Instruments for Radiation

Detection
and Measurement

Lab # 3 (1)

 In nuclear medicine it is important to

ascertain the
Presence
Type
Intensity
Energy of radiations emitted by radionuclides
Two commonly used devices
Gas-filled detectors
Scintillation detectors

Gas-Filled Detectors
The operation of a gas-filled detector is
based on the ionization of gas
molecules by radiations, followed by
collection of the ion pairs as current
with the application of a voltage
between two electrodes.
The measured current is primarily
proportional to the applied voltage and
the amount of radiations.

collection of the
ion pairs as
current with
the application
of a voltage
between two
electrodes

ionization of gas
molecules
by radiations

The
measured
current is
primarily
proportional
to the applied
voltage and
the amount
of radiations.

 The two most commonly used gas-filled

detectors are

At higher voltages
Ionizationfrom
1000 to 1200 V,
chambers
counters
used becomes
forfrom
measuring
high
the
current
At Cutie-Pie
a lower
voltages
50 to
intensity radiation sources, such as output
identical
regardless
of
300from
V, only
the
primary
ion
x-ray machines
how many
ion
pairs
pairs
formed
by
the
initial
Dose
calibrators
measures
the
activityare
of
radiopharmaceuticals
produced
by the
radiation
are collected.
incident radiation.
Geiger-Mller (GM) counters.

Dose Calibrators
one of the most essential instruments for measuring
the activity of radionuclides
Cylindrically shaped
Sealed chamber with a central well
Filled with argon and traces of halogen at high
pressure

Geiger-Mller (GM) Counters

One of the most sensitive detectors

Scintillation Detecting Instruments

g-ray detecting equipment
Most commonly used:
well counters
Thyroid probes
g or scintillation
All these instruments are g-ray detecting devices
Consist of:
Collimator (excluding well counter)
Sodium iodide detector
Photomultiplier tube
Preamplifier
Pulse height analyzer
Display or Storage

 Scintillation detectors consist of scintilator

emitting flashes of light after absorbing gamma
or x radiation. The light photons produced are
then converted to an electrical pulse by means
of a photomultiplier tube. The pulse is amplified
by a linear amplifier, sorted by a pulse-height
analyzer and then registred as a count. Different
solid or liquid scintillators are used for different
types of radiation. In nuclear medicine, sodium
iodide solid crystals with a trace of thallium
NaI(Tl) are used for gamma and x ray detection.

The light photons will strike the

photocathode of a
g rays from a source interact
in the sodium iodide
photomultiplier
The pulse is first amplified
by a preamplifier and then by a linear amplifier
detector and light photons
are
emitted.
(PM) tube
and a pulse is
generated at the end of the PM
tube.