New perovskite ‘camera’ set to revolutionize medical imaging

Scientists from Northwestern University have developed the world’s first medical camera based on perovskite crystals, a material commonly known for its use in solar energy.

Primarily, the new detector offers a potential revolution in nuclear medicine imaging.

The new detector was created in collaboration by scientists at Northwestern University and Soochow University and captures gamma rays with unrivaled precision.

Researchers have confirmed that it could make nuclear medicine scans, such as SPECT, both more economical and accurate.

It has been observed that conventional scanners rely on cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) or sodium iodide detectors, which are either expensive or generate obscure images.

On the contrary, Perovskite technology is the easiest to manufacture and has a lower cost for hospitals, which improves image quality.

The advancement published in Nature Communications implies that this new discovery has a crucial role to shorten scan times, alleviate radiation exposure for patients and make high-quality imaging accessible to clinics globally.

The study co-author Mercouri Kamatzidis said, “This is the first clear proof that perovskite detectors can deliver the sharp and reliable images that doctors need for an efficient treatment.”

Nonetheless, the development marks a major breakthrough that will remarkably improve nuclear medicine by opening new avenues and providing broader accessibility to advanced medical imaging.