HTLV-Is in Argentina are phylogenetically similar to those of other South American countries, but different from HTLV-Is in Africa

We present a method for obtaining the line spread function (LSF) of any radiation detector from measured data. The problem of finding a LSF is essentially a discrete deconvolution from known values of the input (Monte Carlo generated data) and the output (measured data) which can be put into matrix form. We applied the total least squares (TLS) method which is particularly useful when there are errors in both the input and output data. Results from computer simulation as well as from actual data are shown. In a practical application, however, our technique is currently limited by the ability of the Monte Carlo data to simulate correctly the inherent data from the head of the linear accelerator (linac). To overcome this difficulty we have solved by deconvolution and TLS for a more realistic inherent beam profile of our linac using the information from both profile data as measured with film and the film densitometer response function. The LSF of the densitometer was estimated with a simple method of direct measurement of a slit image and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.997 mm was recorded. Additionally, using the knowledge of this realistic inherent profile of the linac, a blurring function representing the finite source size effect missing in our current Monte Carlo profile simulation was determined. Finally, with the realistic inherent beam profile we have applied the deconvolution and TLS method to find a LSF for the Markus chamber and found a resulting FWHM of 5.39 mm. The TLS approach for deconvolving can find a useful application for both finding the LSF and correcting for the detector size effect once its LSF is known. This type of correction is required when a high spatial resolution is needed (e.g., in small field off-axis measurements). Convolved and measured profiles are also presented to illustrate the effect of the blurring due to different LSFs.     

Effects of heart rate on vulnerability to fibrillation in a computer model

The SET-2400W is a newly designed whole-body PET scanner with a large axial field of view (20 cm). Its physical performance was investigated and evaluated. The scanner consists of four rings of 112 BGO detector units (22.8 mm in-plane x 50 mm axial x 30 mm depth). Each detector unit has a 6 (in-plane) x 8 (axial) matrix of BGO crystals coupled to two dual photomultiplier tubes. They are arranged in 32 rings giving 63 two-dimensional image planes. Sensitivity for a 20-cm cylindrical phantom was 6.1 kcps/kBq/ml (224 kcps/microCi/ml) in the 2D clinical mode, and to 48.6 kcps/kBq/ml (1.8 Mcps/microCi/ml) in the 3D mode after scatter correction. In-plane spatial resolution was 3.9 mm FWHM at the center of the field-of-view, and 4.4 mm FWHM tangentially, and 5.4 mm FWHM radially at 100 mm from the center. Average axial resolution was 4.5 mm FWHM at the center and 5.8 mm FWHM at a radial position 100 mm from the center. Average scatter fraction was 8% for the 2D mode and 40% for the 3D mode. The maximum count rate was 230 kcps in the 2D mode and 350 kcps in the 3D mode. Clinical images demonstrate the utility of an enlarged axial field-of-view scanner in brain study and whole-body PET imaging.     

An analytic model of pinhole aperture penetration for 3D pinhole SPECT image reconstruction

Photons penetrate the attenuating material close to the aperture of pinhole collimators in nuclear medicine, broadening the tails of point spread functions (PSFs) and degrading the resolution of planar and SPECT images. An analytic approximation has been developed that models this penetration contribution to the PSF for knife-edge point pinhole apertures. The approximation has the form exp(-gamma r), where r is the distance on the detector surface from the projection of the point source through the pinhole. The rolloff coefficient gamma is a function of the photon energy, point source location and the design parameters of the collimator. There was excellent agreement between measured values of gamma from photon transport simulations of I-131 point sources (364 keV emission only) and theoretical predictions from the analytic formula. Predicted gamma values from the analytic formula averaged 25% greater than measured values from experimental I-131 point source acquisitions. Photon transport simulations were performed that modelled the 364 keV and less abundant 637 and 723 keV emissions and scatter within the scintillation crystal. Measured gamma values from these simulations averaged 12% greater than the experimental values, indicating that about half of the error between the analytic formula and the experimental measurements was due to unmodelled 637 and 723 keV emissions. The remaining error may be due in part to scatter in the pinhole region and backscatter from gamma camera components behind the scintillation crystal. The analytic penetration model was used in designing Metz filters to compensate for penetration blur and these filters were applied to the projection data as part of 3D SPECT image reconstruction. Image resolution and contrast were improved in simulated and experimental I-131 tumour phantom studies. This analytic model of pinhole aperture penetration can be readily incorporated into iterative 3D SPECT pinhole reconstruction algorithms.     

Simulation study of the influence of collimator defects on the uniformity of scintigraphic images

The mechanical tolerances in building collimators for scintillation cameras are studied. A simulation method has been used to quantify the effects of defects in hole inclination and hole diameter on the uniformity of planar and tomographic images. The calculation takes into account the geometry of the hexagonal hole collimator, the camera intrinsic resolution, the object size, the pixel size, the effect of low-pass filtering, as well as the type, size and position of the defect. For instance, a 0.03 mm diameter defect on several holes located in the central region of a very high resolution collimator can result in a 12% uniformity artefact in tomographic imaging of an 18 cm diameter cylinder, using a 3.45 mm resolution camera, 4.5 mm pixel size, and Hamming filtering with a Nyquist frequency cut-off. A 0.17 degree inclination defect of a few holes can result in the same uniformity artefact. These results show that the building of a collimator has to be very precise.     

TLD array for precise dose measurements in stereotactic radiation techniques

We developed a new TLD array for precise dose measurement and verification of the spatial dose distribution in small radiation targets. It consists of a hemicylindrical, tissue-equivalent rod made of polystyrene with 17 parallel moulds for an exact positioning of each TLD. The spatial resolution of the TLD array was evaluated using the Leskell spherical phantom. Dose planning was performed with KULA 4.4 under stereotactic conditions on axial CT images. In the Leksell gamma unit the TLD array was irradiated with a maximal dose of 10 Gy with an unplugged 14 mm collimator. The doses delivered to the TLDs were rechecked by diode detector and film dosimetry and compared to the computer-generated dose profile. We found excellent agreement of our measured values, even at the critical penumbra decline. For the 14 mm and 18 mm collimator and for the 11 mm collimator combination we compared the measured and calculated data at full width at half maximum. This TLD array may be useful for phantom or tissue model studies on the spatial dose distribution in confined radiation targets as used in stereotactic radiotherapy.     

Relationship between gender and holistic representations of health and illness

Steady-state arterial spin tagging MRI approaches were used to quantitate regional cerebral blood flow increases during finger tapping tasks in seven normal subjects. Statistically significant increases in cerebral blood flow were observed in the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex in all seven subjects and in the supplementary motor area in five subjects. The intrinsic spatial resolution of the cerebral blood flow images was approximately 4 mm. If no spatial filtering was applied, the average increase in cerebral blood flow in the activated primary sensorimotor cortex was 60 +/- 10 cc/100 g/min (91 +/- 32%). If the images were filtered to a spatial resolution of 15 mm, the average increase in cerebral blood flow in the activated primary sensorimotor cortex was 23 +/- 7 cc/100 g/min (42 +/- 15%), in agreement with previously reported 133Xe and PET results.     

Assessment of colour Doppler tissue imaging using test-phantoms

An investigation has been carried out on the velocity resolution, spatial resolution and accuracy of Doppler images as part of a study into the Doppler display of cardiac tissue motion. Test-phantoms were designed to perform this work and images were captured on a computer. The characteristics of the phantom images and of the image capture process were studied. The smallest spatial detail that was observed in the Doppler image was 3 mm by 3 mm. Doppler receive gain and Doppler ensemble size both affected velocity resolution. Different target materials gave different measures for velocity resolution. This could be related to the different back-scatter intensities of the materials.     

Evaluation of a high-density scintillating glass for portal imaging

One of the main factors that limits the performance of T.V. camera-based portal imaging systems is the poor light-collection efficiency of the lens and T.V. camera. An x-ray detector that produces more light per incident x ray would help overcome this limitation. We have been evaluating a high-density (3.8 g/cm3), thick (12 mm) glass scintillator for its suitability as an x-ray detector for T.V. camera-based portal imaging systems. The light output and spatial resolution of the glass scintillator has been compared to that of a copper plate/phosphor screen detector using radiographic film and the T.V. camera of our portal imaging system. The film measurements show that the light output of the glass scintillator is 82% of that of the copper plate/phosphor screen, while the T.V. camera measurements show that this value is 48%. A theoretical model of light transport described in this paper suggests that this discrepancy is due to refraction at the glass-air interface. Our measurements of the modulation transfer function (MTF) show that the spatial resolution obtained with the glass scintillator is similar to that obtained with the copper plate phosphor screen. However, the spatial resolution obtained with the glass scintillator decreases as the angle of x-ray incidence increase; this decrease, which is not observed for the copper plate/phosphor screen detector, is due to the large thickness of the glass scintillator. Due to the limited light output and the variable spatial resolution, the transparent glass scintillator, in its current form, is not suitable for portal imaging.     

Performance characteristics of a whole-body PET scanner

METHODS: This study characterizes the performance of a newly developed whole-body PET scanner (Advance, General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI). The scanner consists of 12,096 bismuth germinate crystals (4.0 mm transaxial by 8.1 mm axial by 30 mm radial) in 18 rings, giving 35 two-dimensional image planes through an axial field of view of 15.2 cm. The rings are separated by retractable tungsten septa. Intrinsic spatial resolution, scatter fraction, sensitivity, high count rate performance and image quality are evaluated. RESULTS: Transaxial resolution (in FWHM) is 3.8 mm at the center and increases to 5.0 mm tangential and 7.3 mm radial at R = 20 cm. Average axial resolution decreases from 4.0 mm FWHM at the center to 6.6 mm at R = 20 cm. Scatter fraction is 9.4% and 10.2% for direct and cross slices, respectively. With septa out, the average scatter fraction is 34%. Total system sensitivity for true events (in kcps/(microCi/cc)) is 223 with septa in and 1200 with septa out. Dead-time losses of 50% correspond to a radioactivity concentration of 4.9 (0.81) microCi/cc and a true event count rate of 489 (480) kcps with septa in (out). Noise-equivalent count rate (NECR) for the system as a whole shows a maximum of 261 (159) kcps at a radioactivity concentration of 4.1 (0.65) microCi/cc with septa in (out). NECR is insensitive to changes in lower gamma-energy discrimination between 250-350 keV. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the performance of the newly designed PET scanner to be well suited for clinical and research applications.     

Psychiatric disorder onset and first treatment contact in the United States and Ontario

The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of routine brain perfusion single-photon emission tomography (SPET) images in Finnish nuclear medicine laboratories. Twelve laboratories participated in the study. A three-dimensional high resolution brain phantom (Data Spectrum's 3D Hoffman Brain Phantom) was filled with a well-mixed solution of technetium-99m (110 MBq), water and detergent. Acquisition, reconstruction and printing were performed according to the clinical routine in each centre. Three nuclear medicine specialists blindly evaluated all image sets. The results were ranked from 1 to 5 (poor quality-high quality). Also a SPET performance phantom (Nuclear Associates' PET/SPECT Performance Phantom PS 101) was filled with the same radioactivity concentration as the brain phantom. The parameters for the acquisition, the reconstruction and the printing were exactly the same as with the brain phantom. The number of detected "hot" (from 0 to 8) and "cold" lesions (from 0 to 7) was visually evaluated from hard copies. Resolution and contrast were quantified from digital images. Average score for brain phantom images was 2.7 +/- 0.8 (range 1.5-4.5). The average diameter of the "hot" cylinders detected was 16 mm (range 9.2-20.0 mm) and that of the "cold" cylinders detected, 11 mm (5.9-14.3 mm) according to visual evaluation. Quantification of digital images showed that the hard copy was one reason for low-quality images. The quality of the hard copies was good only in four laboratories and was amazingly low in the others when comparing it with the actual structure of the brain phantom. The described quantification method is suitable for optimizing resolution and contrast detectability of hard copies. This study revealed the urgent need for external quality assurance of clinical brain perfusion SPET images.     

The limit of tactile spatial resolution in humans: grating orientation discrimination at the lip, tongue, and finger

The sensory neural pathways serving the lip, tongue, and finger are specialized for spatial information processing; thus, damage to these pathways is likely to be manifested most prominently as a loss of spatial acuity. For that reason, accurate measurement of spatial resolution at these regions is particularly important. The conventional test, the two-point discrimination task, does not measure the limit of spatial resolution and it yields variable results because it does not control nonspatial cues. The aim of this study was to quantify the limits of spatial resolution at the lip, tongue, and finger and to study the repeatability of those measurements using a stimulus that does not introduce nonspatial cues. We employed a grating orientation discrimination test, which has been studied extensively in relation to the underlying neural mechanisms. We obtained psychophysical thresholds for tactile spatial resolution from 15 normal, young adult subjects over seven test sessions. The finest gratings whose orientations were discriminated reliably had groove widths (gratings had equal groove and bar widths) that averaged 0.51 mm at the lip, 0.58 mm at the tongue, and 0.94 mm at the finger. These threshold measurements were highly reproducible between sessions with an overall improvement of 2% per session. These data suggest that the grating orientation discrimination task provides a stable, reliable measure of the human capacity for spatial resolution.     

The LSF and MTF of rare-earth oxysulfide intensifying screens

The line spread function (LSF) and modulation transfer function (MTF) of 9 rare-earth screen/film systems were measured and compared with those of two fast calcium tungstate systems, using double-emulsion films sandwiched between two screens and mounted in regular cassettes. The LSFs were found to fit exponential functions. These results indicate that the increased sensitivity of rare-earth phosphors over calcium tungstate can be used to construct screens with a higher MTF or increased speed. The fast rare-earth systems allow the use of smaller focal spots for increased resolution while reducing the radiation dose to the patient.     

A noninvasive, three-dimensional spinal motion analysis method

STUDY DESIGN: A three-dimensional, noninvasive motion analysis method was developed by monitoring the orientation of the principal axes of each vertebra. OBJECTIVES: To develop a method of performing three-dimensional, noninvasive motion analysis of the spine using computed tomography data. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The concept of using principal axes of the moment of inertia tensor to measure the orientation and position of a rigid body has been applied to the wrist and subtalar joints, but has not yet been applied to the spine. METHODS: Scans were taken of two isolated vertebrae in various known positions. Centroids, area, moments, and product of inertia of each scan were determined using a commercial program. Custom software combined data using the parallel axis theorem to give three-dimensional data for each vertebra. Changes in the centroid and principal axes were used to calculate translation and rotation, respectively. RESULTS: The system accuracy was within 1.0 degree in rotation and 1.0 mm in translation. Some errors occurred in minor motions when a smaller number of scans were used. System resolution was 0.43 mm. CONCLUSIONS: A system has been developed capable of calculating three-dimensional spinal motion based on measurements of a series of computed tomography images. The system has an accuracy similar to that of current motion analysis methods, but future studies will be necessary to apply this system in vivo.     

The channel ratio method of scatter correction for radionuclide image quantitation

The accuracy of quantitation of radionuclide distributions in human tissue with the scintillation camera is decreased by attenuation and scatter of photons. If scatter correction is applied satisfactorily, narrow beam attenuation can be applied. In this article, a scatter correction technique, the channel ratio (CR) method, is introduced. The CR scatter correction method is proposed for quantitation of the radionuclide distribution in organs. The improvement in the geometrical resolution was measured and examples of clinical images are presented. In this method, the change in the ratio of counts from two symmetrical adjacent energy windows straddling the energy photopeak was used to eliminate the contribution of scattered photons during imaging with 99mTc. The theory and methods for the empirical affirmation are described. To apply the CR scatter correction method, two constants, the ratio of primary photons G and the ratio of scattered photons H in the same windows, were determined. Different sized sources in varying depths of water were imaged. When the source activities were quantified after scatter correction with the CR method, the measurements ranged from 96%-108% in comparison to the reference value in 100 mm water. The scatter fraction increased from 0.20 in 10 mm water to 1.44 in 200 mm water. The geometrical resolution expressed as full width at tenth maximum in 150 mm water improved by 30.4% and was restored to the value of the geometrical resolution in air. The CR scatter correction method is a simple method to correct for scatter in order to facilitate accurate quantitation of the radionuclide distribution during imaging with a scintillation camera.     

Performance evaluation of a whole-body PET scanner using the NEMA protocol. National Electrical Manufacturers Association

This study evaluates the performance of the newly developed high-resolution whole-body PET scanner ECAT EXACT HR+. METHODS: The scanner consists of four rings of 72 bismuth germanate block detectors each, covering an axial field of view of 15.5 cm with a patient port of 56.2 cm. A single block detector is divided into an 8 x 8 matrix, giving a total of 32 rings with 576 detectors each. The dimensions of a single detector element are 4.39 x 4.05 x 30 mm3. The scanner is equipped with extendable tungsten septa for two-dimensional two-dimensional measurements, as well as with three 68Ge line sources for transmission scans and daily quality control. The spatial resolution, scatter fraction, count rate, sensitivity, uniformity and accuracy of the implemented correction algorithms were evaluated after the National Electrical Manufacturers Association protocol using the standard acquisition parameters. RESULTS: The transaxial resolution in the two-dimensional mode is 4.3 mm (4.4 mm) in the center and increases to 4.7 mm (4.8 mm) tangential and to 8.3 mm (8.0 mm) radial at a distance of r = 20 cm from the center. The axial slice width measured in the two-dimensional mode varies between 4.2 and 6.6 mm FWHM over the transaxial field of view. In the three-dimensional mode the average axial resolution varies between 4.1 mm FWHM in the center and 7.8 mm at r = 20 cm. The scatter fraction is 17.1% (32.5%) for a lower energy discriminator level of 350 keV. The maximum true event count rate of 263 (345) kcps was measured at an activity concentration of 142 (26.9) kBq/ml. The total system sensitivity for true events is 5.7 (27.7) cps/Bq/ml. From the uniformity measurements, we obtained a volume variance of 3.9% (5.0%) and a system variance of 1.6% (1.7%). The implemented three-dimensional scatter correction algorithm reveals very favorable properties, whereas the three-dimensional attenuation correction yields slightly inaccurate results in low- and high-density regions. CONCLUSION: The ECAT EXACT HR+ has an excellent, nearly isotropic spatial resolution, which is advantageous for brain and small animal studies. While the relatively low slice sensitivity may hamper the capability for performing fast dynamic two-dimensional studies, the scanner offers a sufficient sensitivity and count rate capacity for fully three-dimensional whole-body imaging.     

Optimal scan parameters of MRCP using HASTE]

For improving the image of fine structures on MRCP, optimal scan parameters were assessed by water-filled phantom using HASTE sequence. Spatial resolution and Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) were measured at various FOVs and slice thicknesses with a body array coil. High spatial resolution was provided at less than 25 cm in FOV, and narrow phantom under 1 mm in diameter was obscured at more than 30 cm in FOV. Highest CNR was provided at 3 mm slice thickness on a 1.5 T unit, and at 4 mm slice thickness on a 1.0 T unit. Narrow phantom under 1 mm in diameter was depicted clearly on a 1.5 T unit, but irregularly on a 1.0 T unit. Taking required spatial resolution and CNR into consideration, we should determine optimal FOV and slice thickness for the assessment of anatomic details on MRCP.     

Planar imaging quantification using 3D attenuation correction data and Monte Carlo simulated buildup factors

A new method to correct for attenuation and the buildup of scatter in planar imaging quantification is presented. The method is based on the combined use of 3D density information provided by computed tomography to correct for attenuation and the application of Monte Carlo simulated buildup factors to correct for buildup in the projection pixels. CT and nuclear medicine images were obtained for a purpose-built nonhomogeneous phantom that models the human anatomy in the thoracic and abdominal regions. The CT transverse slices of the phantom were converted to a set of consecutive density maps. An algorithm was developed that projects the 3D information contained in the set of density maps to create opposing pairs of accurate 2D correction maps that were subsequently applied to planar images acquired from a dual-head gamma camera. A comparison of results obtained by the new method and the geometric mean approach based on published techniques is presented for some of the source arrangements used. Excellent results were obtained for various source-phantom configurations used to evaluate the method. Activity quantification of a line source at most locations in the nonhomogeneous phantom produced errors of less than 2%. Additionally, knowledge of the actual source depth is not required for accurate activity quantification. Quantification of volume sources placed in foam, Perspex and aluminium produced errors of less than 7% for the abdominal and thoracic configurations of the phantom.     

Accuracy of cortical and trabecular bone measurements with peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT)

In order to assess the accuracy of peripheral QCT (Stratec XCT 960) we analysed scans of the European Forearm Phantom and another phantom consisting of K2HPO4 encased in aluminium tubes to simulate cortical walls. Additionally 14 cadaveric forearm specimen scans were compared to CT scans acquired on a GE9800Q. The accuracy for density assessment of the European Forearm Phantom was better than 3%. A small increase in density was observed with increasing thickness of the aluminium wall (10% for each mm). Density measurements within the wall were confounded by limited spatial resolution. For a thickness of less than 4 mm, the density within the wall was underestimated by up to 40%. The measurement of mineral content was not influenced by this effect and showed an accuracy error of less than 6%. The agreement of density measurements on the different CT systems was very strong (R2 > 0.96; RMSE < 6.2%). Our findings suggest that the Stratec pQCT scanner very accurately measures volumetric trabecular and total bone mineral densities at the distal radius while the assessment of cortical density is associated with considerable inaccuracies due to limited spatial resolution.     

FDG PET and dual-head gamma camera positron coincidence detection imaging of suspected malignancies and brain disorders

The purpose of the study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) images obtained with a dual-head coincidence gamma camera (DHC) with those obtained with a dedicated PET in a series of 26 patients. METHODS: Nineteen patients with known or suspected malignancies and 7 patients with neurological disorders underwent PET imaging after injection of approximately 10 mCi of FDG. Whole-body imaging was performed on 19 patients and brain imaging on 7 patients. DHC images were then acquired for 30 min over the region of interest using a dual-head gamma camera equipped with 3/8-in.-thick NaI(TI) crystals and parallel slit-hole collimators. The images were reconstructed in the normal mode, using photopeak/photopeak, photopeak/Compton and Compton/photopeak coincidence events. RESULTS: Although the spatial resolutions of PET with a dedicated PET scanner and of DHC are in the same range, the lesion detectability remains superior with PET (4 mm for PET versus 13.5 mm for DHC in phantom experiments) with a contrast ratio of 5:1. This is most probably attributable to the higher sensitivity of PET (2238 coincidences/min/microCi for PET versus 89 coincidences/min/microCi for DHC). The pattern of uptake and interpretation for brain imaging was similar on both PET and DHC images in all patients. In the 19 oncology patients, 38 lesions ranging from 0.7 to 5 cm were detected by PET. DHC imaging detected 28 (73%) of these lesions. Among the 10 lesions not seen with DHC, 5 were less than 1.2 cm, 2 were located centrally within the liver and suffered from marked attenuation effects and 3 were adjacent to regions with high physiological activity. The nondetectability of some lesions with DHC compared with PET can be explained by several factors: (a) start of imaging time (mean+/-SD: 73+/-16 min for PET versus 115+/-68 min for DHC, leading to FDG decay to 6.75 mCi for PET and 5.2 mCi for DHC); (b) limited efficiency of a 3/8-inch-thick Nal(TI) crystal to detect 18F photons; (c) suboptimal two-dimensional reconstruction algorithm; and (d) absence of soft-tissue attenuation correction for centrally located lesions. CONCLUSION: FDG DHC imaging is a promising technique for oncological and brain imaging.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of the 3D SPECT photon detection kernel for non-uniform attenuating media

Experimental tests for non-uniform attenuating media are performed to validate theoretical expressions for the photon detection kernel, obtained from a recently proposed analytical theory of photon propagation and detection for SPECT. The theoretical multi-dimensional integral expressions for the photon detection kernel, which are computed numerically, describe the probability that a photon emitted from a given source voxel will trigger detection of a photon at a particular projection pixel. The experiments were performed using a cylindrical water-filled phantom with large cylindrical air-filled inserts to simulate inhomogeneity of the medium. A point-like, a short thin cylindrical and a large cylindrical radiation source of 99Tcm were placed at various positions within the phantom. The values numerically calculated from the theoretical kernel expression are in very good agreement with the experimentally measured data. The significance of Compton-scattered photons in planar image formation is discussed and highlighted by these results. Using both experimental measurements and the calculated values obtained from the theory, the kernel's size is investigated. This is done by determining the square N x N pixel neighbourhood of the gamma camera that must be connected to a particular radiation source voxel to account for a specific fraction of all counts recorded at all camera pixels. It is shown that the kernel's size is primarily dependent upon the source position and the properties of the attenuating medium through Compton scattering events, with 3D depth-dependent collimator resolution playing an important but secondary role, at least for imaging situations involving parallel hole collimation. By considering small point-like sources within a non-uniform elliptical phantom, approximating the human thorax, it is demonstrated that on average a 12 cm x 12 cm area of the camera plane is required to collect 85% of the total count recorded. This is a significantly larger connectivity than the 3 cm x 3 cm area required if scattering contributions are ignored and only the 3D depth-dependent collimator resolution is considered.