Patent ID: 7355167

Claim:
A method of calibrating a nuclear medical imaging apparatus for effects of scintillation pulse afterglow, comprising the steps of: a) determining a minimum value of an Esum output signal of said apparatus in response to a relatively low count rate radiation source; b) determining a minimum value of an Esum output signal of said apparatus in response to a relatively high count rate radiation source; c) comparing the minimum value of the high count rate Esum output signal with the minimum value of the low count rate Esum output signal; d) incrementing an afterglow correction value used to correct said Esum output signal if the minimum value of the high count rate Esum output signal is greater than the minimum value of the low count rate Esum output signal, and repeating steps a)-c) using the incremented afterglow correction value; and e) storing a present value of said afterglow correction value as a,calibrated correction value if the minimum value of the high count rate Esum output signal is not greater than the minimum value of the low count rate Esum signal.