Design of Adaptive Pinhole SPECT Collimators for Improved Spatial Resolution and Sensitivity

We are designing AdaptiSPECT-C, a novel, multiple-detector, adaptive-aperture single-photon emission, tomographic (SPECT) system dedicated to brain imaging. This system is designed to change sensitivity and spatial resolution in realtime to address the needs of dynamic imaging[1]. The aim of this work is to document the creation of a manufacturable aperture design including hardware, electronics and software that effectively adapt in real-time spatial resolution and sensitivity functions to the needs of a dynamically changing subject. We accomplish these goals through metal printing of apertures and with custom control boards based on the Arduino microcontroller. With this design we are able to precisely control each aperture motion with a step resolution of 0.20 millimeters, which is within our required tolerances.