scintillation detector /sin′tilā″shən/ [L, scintillatio, sparkling] , 1. a device that detects the light emitted by a crystal subjected to ionizing radiation. A photomultiplier tube in the detector converts the light into an electric signal that can be processed further. An array of scintillation detectors is used in a gamma camera. 2. a device used to measure the amount of radioactivity in an area of the body.
