Silicon detectors for digital radiography

The SYRMEP Collaboration (SYnchrotron Radiation for MEdical Physics) is conducting a research project in digital mammography and plans to use a monochromatic X-ray beam provided by Elettra, the synchrotron radiation facility in operation in Trieste (Italy), in conjunction with a novel silicon pixel detector. A set of silicon strip detectors was arranged to form a vector of pixels. This prototype with a sensitive area of 24 mm(2) (i.e. 2 x 48 pixels of 0.5 x 0.5 mm(2)) has been used to produce images with X-rays both from a Cd-109 source and a standard radiological tube.