Performance of a whole-body counter with five high-purity germanium detectors.

A germanium (Ge) detector system has been installed in a whole-body counting facility at NIRS (Japan). The system employs five detectors that have relative efficiencies of more than 80%. A basic performance of the Ge detectors was tested and compared with that of the former NaI(Tl) detector system. Although the Ge detector system has advantages of improved radionuclide identification capability and MDA values, it also has disadvantages of high operation costs and demanding maintenance such as supply of liquid nitrogen.