Improvement in the detection limit of an in vivo XRF cadmium detection system

A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of three X-ray fluorescence systems with regard to the minimum detection limit for Cd measured in bone phantoms. 109Cd was used to fluoresce Cd in bone phantoms positioned at 180° from the detector. A hyperpure germanium system was superior to the lithium drifted silicon detection system, primarily because of a considerably greater active area of the crystal. A cloverleaf hyperpure germanium system provides a superior mode of detection, with the MDL of 2.1 mg/g for 3 mm of overlying wax.