The proposed research will address the need for higher resolution in vivo imaging by bringing together recent innovations in radiation detectors, multiple-pinhole imaging apertures, and reconstruction algorithms in the development of an ultrahigh-resolution tomographic imaging system. The device will utilize silicon double-sided strip detectors (DSSDs) whose intrinsic position resolution will be at least an order of magnitude better than conventional scintillation cameras used in nuclear medicine. The silicon detectors that are to be used are well-suited to the detection of the low- energy (27-35 keV) photons from the decay of 1251 and 1231. The ability to iodinate a wide range of molecules makes such a system applicable to many uses, particularly in the field of small-animal imaging.
