Re: Portable MCA's

[Chris Alston <alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu>]

Steve

When you say "portable", I assume that you mean "handheld". Also, what's
your application, Nuc Med? Then:

1. Demo before you buy.
2. An MCA with the detector contained in a probe, a la Canberra's Surveyor
(?) would seem to allow more operational latitude than one, like
Exploranium's, in which the detector is integral to the "CPU".
3. If you buy one with a detachable probe, consider carefully the
trade-offs between size/weight and resolution. Canberra offers 1x1", 2x2",
and 3x3" detectors. The 3x3 naturally would have much better resolution
(</= 7%?), than the 1x1 (</= 11%), but it'd be much weightier, and more
difficult to get into tight spaces.
4. I suggested, to one of the major manufacturers, more than a year ago,
that it would be very useful to have an instrument that would give audible
indication of count-rate, in one or more ROI's. If this option is
available, it'd be worth considerable weighting in your decision-making.
Please let us know what you choose.

Regards
cja

>1.  I want to purchase a portable multi-channel analyzer (MCA).  Do any of
>you have a recommendation or comments?

>Steve Graham
>
>L. Stephen Graham, Ph.D., FACR
>VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System/
>UCLA School of Medicine
>Cyclotron Bldg 345
>11301 Wilshire Blvd
>Los Angeles, CA  90073

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