Physics, Techniques and Procedures

Edge-packing

bright ring around the edge of the image which appears as characteristic non-uniformity in images. This artefact (see artefact in nuclear imaging) called edge packing, results from a somewhat greater light collection efficiency for events near the edge when compared to central regions of the detector crystal (Anger camera). This occurs as a result of internal reflections of scintillation light from the sides of the detector back into the photomultiplier tubes near the edge. Also for events occuring towards the centre of the crystal, there are always PM tubes on either side of the event location, whereas at the edges of the crystal, there are PM tubes only to one side. Thus events at the very edges are not distributed uniformly but are pulled toward the centre compounding the edge-packing artefact.

DT