Photomultiplier tube (Gamma camera)
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Vajuhudeen Z, Hacking C, McKay L, et al. Photomultiplier tube (Gamma camera). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 26 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-79730
rID:
79730
Article created:
3 Jul 2020,
Zemar Vajuhudeen
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Zemar Vajuhudeen had no recorded disclosures.
View Zemar Vajuhudeen's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:
- Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
8 times, by
6 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Sections:
The photomultiplier tube array of a Gamma camera detects the visible light produced by the scintillator and converts it to a measurable electronic signal 1.
A series of photomultiplier tubes are mounted behind the scintillation crystal 1. Each photomultiplier tube is composed of a tightly sealed, evacuated glass housing 1. A photocathode exists at the end closest to the scintillator, which absorbs the light photons produced and emits photoelectrons in the process, via the photoelectric effect 1. The photoelectrons are accelerated towards an anode at the end of the photomultiplier tube, colliding into a series of dynodes along the way, with each interaction producing further photoelectrons and therefore amplifying the electronic signal 1.
The amount of light detected by a photomultiplier tube is a function of its distance from the scintillation event. Tubes that are closer to the scintillation event will have a proportionally larger signal than those further away. Therefore, the location of the signal can be determined by the position of the photomultiplier tube that receives the greatest signal.
References
- 1. Penelope Allisy-Roberts, Jerry R. Williams. Farr's Physics for Medical Imaging. (2008). Page 129. ISBN: 9780702028441
- 2. International Atomic Energy Agency. Nuclear Medicine Physics. (2015) ISBN: 9789201438102
Incoming Links
Articles:
Related articles: Imaging technology
- imaging technology
- imaging physics
- imaging in practice
-
x-rays
- x-ray physics
- x-ray in practice
- x-ray production
- x-ray tube
- filters
- automatic exposure control (AEC)
- beam collimators
- grids
- air gap technique
- cassette
- intensifying screen
- x-ray film
- image intensifier
- digital radiography
- digital image
- mammography
- x-ray artifacts
- radiation units
- radiation safety
- radiation detectors
- fluoroscopy
-
computed tomography (CT)
- CT physics
- CT in practice
- CT technology
- CT image reconstruction
- CT image quality
- CT dose
-
CT contrast media
-
iodinated contrast media
- agents
- water soluble
- water insoluble
- vicarious contrast material excretion
- iodinated contrast media adverse reactions
- agents
- non-iodinated contrast media
-
iodinated contrast media
-
CT artifacts
- patient-based artifacts
- physics-based artifacts
- hardware-based artifacts
- ring artifact
- tube arcing
- out of field artifact
- air bubble artifact
- helical and multichannel artifacts
- CT safety
- history of CT
-
MRI
- MRI physics
- MRI in practice
- MRI hardware
- signal processing
-
MRI pulse sequences (basics | abbreviations | parameters)
- T1 weighted image
- T2 weighted image
- proton density weighted image
- chemical exchange saturation transfer
- CSF flow studies
- diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)
- echo-planar pulse sequences
- fat-suppressed imaging sequences
- gradient echo sequences
- inversion recovery sequences
- metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS)
-
perfusion-weighted imaging
- techniques
- derived values
- saturation recovery sequences
- spin echo sequences
- spiral pulse sequences
- susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI)
- T1 rho
- MR angiography (and venography)
-
MR spectroscopy (MRS)
- 2-hydroxyglutarate peak: resonates at 2.25 ppm
- alanine peak: resonates at 1.48 ppm
- choline peak: resonates at 3.2 ppm
- citrate peak: resonates at 2.6 ppm
- creatine peak: resonates at 3.0 ppm
- functional MRI (fMRI)
- gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) peak: resonates at 2.2-2.4 ppm
- glutamine-glutamate peak: resonates at 2.2-2.4 ppm
- Hunter's angle
- lactate peak: resonates at 1.3 ppm
- lipids peak: resonates at 1.3 ppm
- myoinositol peak: resonates at 3.5 ppm
- MR fingerprinting
- N-acetylaspartate (NAA) peak: resonates at 2.0 ppm
- propylene glycol peak: resonates at 1.13 ppm
-
MRI artifacts
- MRI hardware and room shielding
- MRI software
- patient and physiologic motion
- tissue heterogeneity and foreign bodies
- Fourier transform and Nyquist sampling theorem
- MRI contrast agents
- MRI safety
-
ultrasound
- ultrasound physics
-
transducers
- linear array
- convex array
- phased array
- frame averaging (frame persistence)
- ultrasound image resolution
- imaging modes and display
- pulse-echo imaging
- real-time imaging
-
Doppler imaging
- Doppler effect
- colour Doppler
- power Doppler
- B flow
- colour box
- Doppler angle
- pulse repetition frequency and scale
- wall filter
- colour write priority
- packet size (dwell time)
- peak systolic velocity
- end-diastolic velocity
- resistive index
- pulsatility index
- Reynolds number
- panoramic imaging
- compound imaging
- harmonic imaging
- elastography
- scanning modes
- 2D ultrasound
- 3D ultrasound
- 4D ultrasound
- M-mode
-
ultrasound artifacts
- acoustic shadowing
- acoustic enhancement
- beam width artifact
- reverberation artifact
- ring down artifact
- mirror image artifact
- side lobe artifact
- speckle artifact
- speed displacement artifact
- refraction artifact
- multipath artifact
- anisotropy
- electrical interference artifact
- hardware-related artifacts
- Doppler artifacts
- aliasing
- tissue vibration
- spectral broadening
- blooming
- motion (flash) artifact
- twinkling artifact
- acoustic streaming
- biological effects of ultrasound
- history of ultrasound
-
nuclear medicine
- nuclear medicine physics
- detectors
- tissue to background ratio
-
radiopharmaceuticals
- fundamentals of radiopharmaceuticals
- radiopharmaceutical labelling
- radiopharmaceutical production
- nuclear reactor produced radionuclides
- cyclotron produced radionuclides
- radiation detection
- dosimetry
- specific agents
- carbon-11
- chromium-51
- fluorine agents
- gallium agents
- Ga-67 citrate
- Ga-68
- iodine agents
-
I-123
- I-123 iodide
- I-123 ioflupane (DaTSCAN)
- I-123 ortho-iodohippurate
- I-131
-
MIBG scans
- I-123 MIBG
- I-131 MIBG
-
I-123
- indium agents
- In-111 Octreoscan
- In-111 OncoScint
- In-111 Prostascint
- In-111 oxine labelled WBC
- krypton-81m
- nitrogen-13
- oxygen-15
- phosphorus-32
- selenium-75
-
technetium agents
- Tc-99m DMSA
- Tc-99m DTPA
- Tc-99m DTPA aerosol
- Tc-99m HMPAO
- Tc-99m HMPAO labelled WBC
- Tc-99m MAA
- Tc-99m MAG3
- Tc-99m MDP
- Tc-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine
- Tc-99m pertechnetate
- Tc-99m labelled RBC
- Tc-99m sestamibi
- Tc-99m sulfur colloid
- Tc-99m sulfur colloid (oral)
- thallium-201 chloride
- xenon agents
- in vivo therapeutic agents
- pharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine
-
emerging methods in medical imaging
- radiography
- phase-contrast imaging
- CT
- deep-learning reconstruction
- photon counting CT
- virtual non-contrast imaging
- ultrasound
- magnetomotive ultrasound (MMUS)
- superb microvascular imaging
- ultrafast Doppler imaging
- ultrasound localisation microscopy
- MRI
- nuclear medicine
- total body PET system
- immuno-PET
- miscellaneous
- radiography
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.