Compton imaging technology is a new radiation hotspot location technology that does not require collimation and has a wide field of view, high efficiency, and broad application prospects. With the development of nuclear technology, Compton cameras with the above-mentioned advantages have a wide range of applications not only in the nuclear industry but also in the field of nuclear medicine, hence recently become a popular research field worldwide.

This study aims to develop a double-layer separated Compton camera for far-field imaging of specific radiation scenes in nuclear facilities.

First of all, two pixel-type cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)-based readout electronics system were adopted for the development of a double-layer separated Compton camera. A list-mode maximum likelihood expectation maximization (LM-MLEM) image reconstruction algorithm was implemented in the host computer software. Then, ¹³⁷Cs point source was used for experimental test of imaging performance of the system, and the parameters affecting the imaging performance, such as the detector layer spacing and area of the absorption layer, were optimized. Finally, far-field three-dimensional imaging of the radiation source was performed by moving the measuring position of the detector.

The test results show that the energy resolution of the CZT detectors is approximately 3% (FWHM@662 keV), which can determine the location of the point source at a distance of 5 m, and the angular resolution for θ and φ directions of the optimized system is approximately 10°.

Double-layer separated Compton camera of this study has advantages of adjustable structure, low detector cost, relatively simple readout electronics, and wide imaging field of view. The angular resolution of this double-layer separated Compton camera can be improved by proper adjustment of the imaging influence parameters (such as layer spacing and the area of the absorption layer).