Compton scattering correction methods for pixellated radiation detector arrays

A Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging system, comprising:

• a pixel radiation detector including detector pixels;
• and
• an analyzer unit configured to receive data from the detector pixels and output analyzed data, wherein the analyzer unit is configured to perform operations of:
• determining whether gamma ray detection events occurred in two or more detector pixels within an event frame;
• in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame, determining whether the gamma ray detection events that occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame occurred in the two or more detector pixels within a threshold distance of each other;
• and
• recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame as a single gamma ray detection event having an energy equal to a sum of measured energies of the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame and in a location of a detector pixel of the two or more detector pixels having a highest measured energy in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the threshold distance of each other.

A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a pixel radiation detector capable of registering gamma ray detection events occurring in two or more detector pixels within an event frame to perform operations comprising:

• determining whether gamma ray detection events occurred in two or more detector pixels within an event frame;
• in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame, determining whether the gamma ray detection events that occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame occurred in the two or more detector pixels within a threshold distance of each other;
• and
• recording the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame as a single gamma ray detection event having an energy equal to a sum of measured energies of the gamma ray detection events, which occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the event frame and in a location of a detector pixel of the two or more detector pixels having a highest measured energy in response to determining that the gamma ray detection events occurred in the two or more detector pixels within the threshold distance of each other.