Gamma camera for medical applications, using a multiwire proportional counter. [Dogs, pigs]

A multiwire proportional counter gamma camera, specially designed for nuclear medicine applications, is portable and weighs less than 50 lb including shielding and collimator. The basic operating characteristics have been investigated with various radioactive sealed sources. The camera demonstrates a peak count rate of 850,000 cps, an intrinsic spatial resolution of 2.5 mm, and excellent image uniformity when used with x-ray sources in the range of 22-81 keV. Tests of the device with Ta-178 using 20 mCi injections provided images of quality comparable to those obtained from 15 mCi Tc-99m studies with conventional imaging devices. The camera used with Ta-178 offers particular promise in first-pass nuclear cardiology studies.