- Perovskite detectors achieve single-photon SPECT imaging with high energy and spatial resolution.
- Lower costs than CZT and better quality than NaI open the door to more accessible and lower-dose diagnostics.
- In photography, stacked perovskite RGB pixels capture up to three times more light than silicon with filters.
- Advances in manufacturing and stability accelerate the transition from laboratory to commercial products.
The term "perovskite chamber» has slipped onto the radar of innovation in two ways: on the one hand, in nuclear medicine with detectors capable of recording single gamma photons and with a unprecedented precision; on the other hand, in Digital photography with stacked RGB sensors that promise more light and less noiseBoth advances draw from the same source: the extraordinary properties of crystals with a perovskite structure.
In hospitals, this technology aims to Shorten scan times, improve sharpness and reduce radiation dose in techniques such as SPECT; in the world of images, it opens the door to sensors that capture virtually the entire visible spectrumBehind it are teams from Northwestern University and Soochow University in China, and a consortium of Empa and ETH Zurich, which They have demonstrated record performance and functional prototypes that are already approaching commercialization..
What is a perovskite gamma camera and how does SPECT work?
En SPECT extension (single photon emission computed tomography) a short-lived radiotracer is injected into the body; its gamma emissions pass through tissues and are captured by an external detector that reconstructs organic activity in 3D, as if it were a “invisible” camera. It is used for evaluate heart function, blood flow, or injuries not shown on other tests.
The leap comes when the detector stops being the bottleneck. Northwestern and Soochow team unveils first perovskite detector capable of capturing gamma photons one by one with high energy and spatial resolution, optimized for SPECT imagingPublished in Nature Communications, this work makes a reality what was a promise a decade ago: that perovskites They could also master the detection of X-rays and gamma rays in addition to solar energy..
The key lies in a "pixelated" sensor—a matrix similar to the pixels in a mobile phone camera—made from high-quality perovskite crystals. With a finely tuned multi-channel readout electronic design, the prototype demonstrates outstanding stability and sensitivity capable of squeezing out very weak signals of clinical radiopharmaceuticals such as technetium-99mThis architecture converts each photon into cleaner, more precise information.
For the patient, the implications are direct: shorter scan times, sharper images, and the potential for dose reduction. From a systems perspective, the ability to distinguish gamma energies with greater precision opens the door to richer three-dimensional reconstructions and new diagnostic applications where energy selectivity makes the difference.
The study has also received high-level institutional and financial support—including the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA12020002), national programs in China, and regional foundations—and It is presented as a milestone towards clinical adoption. For those who want to track down the exact reference, the article is from open access in Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63400-7).
Why traditional detectors fail
Most clinical gamma cameras use crystals of CdZnTe (CZT) or sodium iodide (NaI). CZTs can achieve very high resolution, but their Achilles' heel is cost and fragility: growing large, high-quality crystals is complex and expensive, raising the price per unit to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, and the added benefit is that they are brittle materials.
NaI, on the other hand, makes the system cheaper, but at the expense of volume and sharpness: the images lose detail and contrast, as if we were looking through a glass. tarnishedThis decrease in precision causes subtle physiological variations to become blurred, complicating early or differentiated diagnoses, for example in types of dementia with different perfusion patterns.
In both cases, the final equation doesn't quite add up: either you pay more for quality and face manufacturing limitations, or you save by sacrificing resolution. This is the gap that perovskite-based detectors come to fill, offering an unusual combination of performance and affordability.
The quality leap: perovskites in nuclear medicine
Perovskites are a crystalline family whose name comes from a mineral with a CaTiO3 structure, But Today it includes materials with that same geometry —including lead halides— that have revolutionized photovoltaicsIn 2012, the Northwestern group demonstrated the first solid-film perovskite solar cells; a year later, they proved that single crystals perovskites detected X-rays and gamma rays effectively, opening an area of research that has grown internationally.
Since then, Crystal growth and surface engineering techniques have been perfected to turn that potential into real devices.The new detector integrates a perovskite pixel array, optimized multi-channel readout, and conditioning that minimizes losses and distortions. The result is Images that separate radioactive sources separated by just millimeters and a sensitivity capable of detecting very faint signals of routinely used Tc‑99m.
One of the featured materials, the halide CsPbBr3, It presents the electronic and transport properties necessary for this type of sensorsWith it, the ability to discriminate gamma energies translates into better contrast between tissues or physiological processes with different signatures. This energy selectivity allows for more information to be extracted from each detected photon.
Beyond sharpness, the device maintains a striking stability: Captures virtually the entire tracer count without appreciable loss or distortion during testingThis operational robustness is key to its future integration into clinical systems with demanding workflows and sustained calibration requirements.
The practical benefits are clear. With more sensitive detectors, scanning times or administered doses can be reduced without sacrificing qualityAnd by being able to build them with simpler processes and components than CZT's, the cost is reduced, paving the way for advanced equipment to reach hospitals and clinics that currently can't afford the latest technology.
Real impact, costs and marketing
Northwestern has launched a spin-off, Actinia Inc., to bring this technology from the lab to the market, collaborating with medical device manufacturers. The goal is to achieve compact, precise and affordable gamma cameras, which expand access to high-quality diagnostics without making price a barrier.
Compared to NaI, perovskite detectors They offer a realistic path to working with lower radiotracer doses without losing resolution.. In front of CZT, they promise a much lower bill and a less delicate manufacturing process, maintaining the imaging capability at the photon level and excellent energy resolutionThe combination of performance and cost is what makes this proposal disruptive.
For the clinician, this translates into the possibility of adjusting the protocol: When maximum detail is required, the camera responds; When standard quality is sufficient, speed or quality can be prioritized. minimize patient exposureIn oncological or infectious diseases—where high-energy examinations are common—this leeway is especially valuable.
Experimental validation of the prototype shows separation of tiny radioactive sources placed a few millimeters apart, something that enriches quality control testing and calibrates the expectation of what these systems could resolve in vivo. In addition to the ability to discriminate energies, lays the foundation for more advanced modalities within SPECT itself.
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