Performance evaluation of high-resolution square parallel-hole collimators with a CZT room temperature pixelated semiconductor SPECT system: a Monte Carlo simulation study

The pixelated semiconductor based on cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) is a promising imaging device that provides many benefits compared with conventional scintillation detectors. By using a high-resolution square parallel-hole collimator with a pixelated semiconductor detector, we were able to improve both sensitivity and spatial resolution. Here, we present a simulation of a CZT pixleated semiconductor single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system with a high-resolution square parallel-hole collimator using various geometric designs of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mm X-axis hole size. We performed a simulation study of the eValuator-2500 (eV Microelectronics Inc., Saxonburg, PA, U.S.A.) CZT pixelated semiconductor detector using a Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE). To evaluate the performances of these systems, the sensitivity and spatial resolution was evaluated. Moreover, to evaluate the overall performance of the imaging system, a hot-rod phantom was designed. Our results showed that the average sensitivity of the 2.0 mm collimator X-axis hole size was 1.34, 1.95, and 3.92 times higher than that of the 1.5, 1.0, and 0.5 mm collimator X-axis hole size, respectively. Also, the average spatial resolution of the 0.5 mm collimator X-axis hole size was 28.69, 44.65, and 55.73% better than that of the 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mm collimator X-axis hole size, respectively. We discuss the high-resolution square parallel-hole collimator of various collimator geometric designs and our evaluations. In conclusion, we have successfully designed a high-resolution square parallel-hole collimator with a CZT pixelated semiconductor SPECT system.