COLLIMATOR FOR LOW-DOSE MOLECULAR BREAST IMAGING

A system and method for nuclear imaging includes a molecular breast imaging system including a collimator coupled to each of at least two gamma cameras. The collimator includes a collimator plate composed of a radiation absorbing material and having formed therein a plurality of channels spaced in an arrayed arrangement, each of the plurality of channels extending from an upper surface of the collimator plate to a lower surface of the collimator plate along a distance configured to substantially maximize a geometric efficiency of the collimator for a selected septal penetration, source-to-collimator distance, and collimator material. The collimator also includes a plurality of septa formed between each adjacent ones of the plurality of channels and the plurality of detector elements and the plurality of channels have a substantially similar cross-sectional shape.