An imaging system includes a first silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) comprising an array of microcells. Each microcell is an avalanche photodiode (APD) operated in a Geiger mode, a first area of the first SiPM, comprising at least one of the microcells, is electrically isolated from all other microcells, and a signal from the first area, resulting from at least one photon pulse, is used to determine a gain of the first SiPM.