GAMPIX: A new generation of gamma camera

Gamma imaging is a technique of great interest in several fields such as homeland security or decommissioning/dismantling of nuclear facilities in order to localize hot spots of radioactivity. In the nineties, previous works led by CEA LIST resulted in the development of a first generation of gamma camera called CARTOGAM, now commercialized by AREVA CANBERRA. Even if its performances can be adapted to many applications, its weight of 15 kg can be an issue. For several years, CEA LIST has been developing a new generation of gamma camera, called GAMPIX. This system is mainly based on the Medipix2 chip, hybridized to a 1 mm thick CdTe substrate. A coded mask replaces the pinhole collimator in order to increase the sensitivity of the gamma camera. Hence, we obtained a very compact device (global weight less than 1 kg without any shielding), which is easy to handle and to use. In this article, we present the main characteristics of GAMPIX and we expose the first experimental results illustrating the performances of this new generation of gamma camera. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.