A miniature cesium iodide-photodiode detector for ambulatory monitoring of left ventricular function

The physical characteristics of a portable nonimaging scintillation probe system for continuous ambulatory monitoring of the left ventricular function are described. The detector of the equilibrium radionuclide labeled blood pool is a single cesium iodide (CsI) crystal coupled to a silicium photodiode and interfaced to a microcomputer. The spatial properties of this small CsI crystal (1 x 1 x 1 cm3) were evaluated with various single-hole collimators. Linearity was studied in nonattenuating medium. Saturation began at 3000 cps, count loss was 10% at 4000 cps, maximal count rate was 24,000 cps. In attenuating medium, isocount curve of 5% of the maximal count rate was 100 mm deep and 160 mm wide. The most appropriate tested lead collimator to record the global ejection fraction of the left ventricle was a disc-shaped (thickness 5 mm, diameter 41 mm) single-hole (proximal aperture 8 mm, distal aperture 18 mm) collimator. Sensitivity was similar to the sensitivity of a sodium iodide nuclear probe. The detection performance appeared comparable to other available detector systems. Our results indicate that such a CsI-photodiode probe is a promising candidate for left ventricular function monitoring. The application to an ambulatory multicrystal detector system is presented and discussed.