Comparison of stretched and sitting configurations for partial-body measurements

The partial-body counter currently installed at KIT is under redesign to add whole-body counting capabilities and replace the current phoswich detectors with HPGe ones, capable of detecting low energy photons ((210)Pb, (241)Am). Different configurations for the positioning of the subject have been tested with the aid of Monte Carlo simulations and the performances attainable with a sitting and a lying configuration were compared. The optimal placement of the detectors was also defined. The simulations were used to estimate the counting efficiencies and also to estimate the Compton scattering produced by (40)K, in turn used to calculate the minimum detectable activities.