A public domain platform to model scintillation counters for gamma-ray imaging applications

The TRIUMF PET detector group is developing a public domain platform to simulate the position and energy responses of scintillation counters for hard X-ray and gamma-ray imaging applications. The simulation allows to treat the tracking of gamma-ray interactions in the active volume of the detector, the non-proportionality of the scintillation response, the propagation and detection of individual scintillation photons through complex multi-crystal geometries as well as the noise associated with signal amplification in the readout units. This is achieved by interfacing gamma-ray interaction tracking to the program DETECT, which simulates the transport of scintillation photons. The interface takes the form of a high level language which allows easy specifications of the detector geometry and readout units. The approach has been put to a validation test with a model of a BGO multicrystal detector manufactured by Siemens-CTI for high-resolution positron emission tomography. Here, we present an updated discussion of the main components of this modeling platform as well as of the functionalities it offers in assisting the design of photon imaging detectors based on scintillators. Areas of future improvements are also discussed. (author)