γ Gamma Camera Explorer — PMT vs CZT

How a gamma camera turns Tc-99m decays into a diagnostic image. Pick a detector technology, then click the camera to take it apart.

Showing the conventional scintillation camera: NaI(Tl) crystal read out by an array of photomultiplier tubes.

1 The camera, exploded

This is a cross-section through one detector head sitting over a patient. Click the head (or the “Explode” button) to separate the layers, then click any component to learn what it does and where it fits in image acquisition.

Collimator:
Click the camera to explode it
Patient · Tc-99m uptake Detector head Collimator — low-energy NaI(Tl) scintillation crystal Light guide + PMT array Readout & energy discrimination Attenuation correction (CT μ-map) Reconstructed image
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Fire a photon to watch a gamma ray’s fate: accepted, scattered, or stopped by a septum.
Tc-99m / photon Collimator lead NaI crystal PMT CZT

Select a component in the diagram to read how it works and its role in image acquisition.

2 PMT/NaI vs CZT — the numbers

The column matching your selected detector is highlighted. These are the board-relevant contrasts between the conventional scintillation camera and modern solid-state detectors.

Feature PMT / NaI(Tl) CZT (solid-state) Why it matters clinically

3 Check yourself

Board-style questions in the spirit of the ABR core/certifying exam. One at a time — pick an answer to see the explanation, then advance to the next.

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