Abstract:Prompt Gamma Activation Imaging (PGAI) is a new elemental imaging technique based on Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGAA). It has the characteristics of non-destructive, high sensitivity and multi-elemental analysis of PGAA, and can study the three-dimensional spatial distribution of element content for large volume samples. Compared with mobile neutron sources (such as isotopic neutron sources and accelerator-based neutron sources), reactor-based neutron sources have higher cold/thermal neutron flux. Therefore, PGAI devices based on reactor neutron sources have broader application prospects in various fields. In view of the importance of PGAI, in this paper the principle and measurement method of PGAI were introduced, the representative PGAI devices and characteristics both at home and abroad were listed, and the current research status and application progress of PGAI were also given. However, PGAI based on neutron tomography (NT) is a focus of current research. With the stable operation of high flux neutron research reactors in China and the establishment and development of PGAI devices, it is believed that PGAI technology can be widely applied in more fields in China in the future.