Gamma radiography and tomography with a CCD camera and Co-60 source

Area of Science:

• Nuclear instrumentation
• Medical imaging physics

Background:

• Gamma imaging is crucial for various applications, including non-destructive testing.
• Existing gamma imaging systems can be costly and complex.
• There is a need for accessible and cost-effective gamma imaging solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of a low-cost gamma imaging setup.
• To evaluate the performance of a system using a low-activity Cobalt-60 source and a CsI(Tl) scintillator read by a CCD camera.
• To develop and validate a count rate model for gamma imaging.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 5.8mCi laboratory Cobalt-60 (Co-60) source.
• Employed a Cesium Iodide (thallium-doped) [CsI(Tl)] scintillator screen.
• Read out the scintillator signal using a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera.
• Developed a model to estimate effective count rates, validated experimentally.
• Performed radiography and tomography on phantoms to assess spatial resolution.

Main Results:

• Achieved a spatial resolution of approximately 1.3-2.5mm.
• Exposure times were around a few minutes per radiograph.
• The count rate model was validated against experimental data.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of a simple, low-cost gamma imaging setup.

Conclusions:

• The developed gamma imaging system is a viable, low-cost solution for applications requiring moderate resolution and flexible acquisition times.
• The count rate model provides valuable insights for system optimization.
• The approach can be enhanced with higher activity sources or thinner scintillators for improved performance.
• This method shows promise for non-destructive testing, particularly for studying multi-phase flows.