The Neuro-ECAT scanner is a positron emission tomograph designed for high resolution cross-sectional imaging of the adult human head, or the complete torso of a child or small animal. The Neuro-ECAT scanner performs both rectilinear and tomographic scans, in both transmission and emission modes. There are three detector planes, producing five images. Each detector plane contains 88 bismuth germanate detectors, arranged in an octagonal array of 11 detectors per bank. Retained and electrically operated shadow shields provide two choices of reconstructed tomographic resolution, nominally 8.0 and 10.5 mm. Interplane septa, also retained and electrically operated, may be inserted between the detector planes for low noise, highly quantitative measurements, or moved aside for high efficiency scanning of low activity levels. The paper presents the Neuro-ECAT scanner design criteria and a description of the scanner. Data from phantom studies are presented to illustrate system performance.