Monte Carlo simulation using DETECT2000 of a multilayered scintillation block and fit to experimental data

The authors have used DETECT2000, a Monte Carlo simulation program of the light photon transport inside a scintillation block, to improve the performance of their next positron emission mammography system. The scintillation blocks of the system are composed of two arrays of crystals that are held together by an interconnecting layer. First, they used previously acquired experimental data on the block to find good simulated surface parameters for the scintillation block. They have found that the surface of the crystals are smooth and have good reflectivity. After a set of parameters was found to replicate the behavior of the block, the model geometry was modified in order to increase the block's performance. The DETECT2000 simulations determined that the removal of the interconnecting layer would yield the best results. The experimental results on a modified block yielded excellent results, showing the power of Monte Carlo simulations.