An anthropomorphic phantom integrated EGS4 Monte Carlo code and its application in Compton probe

An EGS4 Monte Carlo Code incorporated with a digitized anthropomorphic phantom is presented. With this Monte Carlo program, new imaging techniques and devices can be investigated accurately under realistic clinical conditions without conducting experiments in living subjects. Imaging quality can be improved by analyzing the image formation procedure with detailed interaction physics. As an example, its application in predicting the performance of the authors' newly designed Compton prove for prostate imaging is addressed in detail. The authors' initial simulation results show that Compton prove promises good counting efficiency and high spatial resolution. Further study of effects of the background activity on the probe performance indicates that bladder is possible a major source of degradation. Moreover, it indicates that the probe design can be improved using appropriate shielding. Potential use of Compton probe for prostate tumor detection is demonstrated by list-mode likelihood reconstruction of anthropomorphic phantom using the presented EGS4 based Monte Carlo program. This Monte Carlo program can handle 3 million voxels with a simulation speed of 1 million histories per 18 minutes.