Stereoscopic portable hybrid gamma imaging for source depth estimation

Phys Med Biol. 2021 Feb 12;66(4):045031. doi: 10.1088/1361-6560/abd955.

Abstract

Advances in gamma imaging technology mean that is now technologically feasible to conduct stereoscopic gamma imaging in a hand-held unit. This paper derives an analytical model for stereoscopic pinhole imaging which can be used to predict performance for a wide range of camera configurations. Investigation of this concept through Monte Carlo and benchtop studies, for an example configuration, shows camera-source distance measurements with a mean deviation between calculated and actual distances of <5 mm for imaging distances of 50-250 mm. By combining this technique with stereoscopic optical imaging, we are then able to calculate the depth of a radioisotope source beneath a surface without any external positional tracking. This new hybrid technique has the potential to improve surgical localisation in procedures such as sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Radionuclide Imaging / instrumentation*
  • Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy