Introducing an Optimized Computing Method to Improve Parallel-Hole Collimators’ Response in Nuclear Medicine

Performance of parallel-hole collimators may be evaluated by determining their response to a point radioactive source which for instance, the amount of collimator resolution is calculated by measuring the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of point spread function (PSF). The conventional method in calculating the response of the collimator to a point source by using Monte Carlo simulations is to map the signal values in each detector cell to the center of cell on the x or y axis. In this paper, a new computing algorithm has been proposed which optimally maps the signal values on these axes. The responses of LEUHR, LEHR, LEGP and LEHS collimators are simulated based on the conventional method and the optimized computing one by the MCNP5 code. The results have been indicated that the response based on the optimized method has a higher accuracy compared to that of the conventional one. The average relative differences between the amounts of resolution based on the optimized method and experimental data have been found to be considerably fewer than those of the conventional one. Therefore, one may obtain parallel hole collimators’ response with a higher accuracy by using the optimized computing method.