Method and apparatus for imaging using multiple imaging detectors

• US 20080039721A1
• Filed: 08/08/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Healthcare Israel (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.), GE Medical Systems Israel, Ltd (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Israel, Ltd (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blevis, Ira Micah, Hefetz, Yaron, Shai, Eyal
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/436
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4266 characterised by using a plurality of detector units A61B6/4014 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4429 related to the mounting of source units and detector units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/501 for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/161 Applications in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting apparatus for radiation diagnosis A61B6/00

Abstract

An imaging system comprises a plurality of imaging detectors for acquiring imaging data. The plurality of imaging detectors is configurable to be arranged proximate to an anatomy of interest within a patient. Each of the plurality of imaging detectors has a field of view (FOV) and at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors image the anatomy of interest within the respective FOV. A processor receives the imaging data and processes the imaging data to form a multi-dimensional dataset having at least three dimensions.

Claims

1. An imaging system, comprising:

a plurality of imaging detectors for acquiring imaging data, the plurality of imaging detectors being configurable to be arranged proximate to an anatomy of interest within a patient, each of the plurality of imaging detectors having a field of view (FOV), at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors imaging the anatomy of interest within the respective FOV; and

a processor receiving the imaging data and processing the imaging data to form a multi-dimensional dataset having at least three dimensions.

2. The system of claim 1, the plurality of imaging detectors being arranged in at least one of at least one arc and at least one circle proximate to the anatomy of interest.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the anatomy of interest is one of a breast, a heart, and a brain, the plurality of imaging detectors being arranged in at least one arc to at least partially encircle the breast, torso, and head, respectively, of the patient.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of imaging detectors are arranged in at least one arc proximate to the anatomy of interest, the plurality of imaging detectors being one of evenly and unevenly positioned with respect to each other.

5. The system of claim 1, the plurality of imaging detectors remaining stationary while acquiring the imaging data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of collimators being one of mounted on and positioned proximate to the plurality of detectors, each of the plurality of collimators having at least one pinhole.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller unit for positioning the plurality of imaging detectors into at least first and second configurations, the at least first and second configurations being different.

8. A method for acquiring imaging data with a plurality of small-size imaging detectors, comprising:

configuring at least a portion of a plurality of small-size imaging detectors to be proximate to a structure of interest within a patient, each of the plurality of small-size imaging detectors having a field of view (FOV);

aiming the FOV of the at least a portion of the plurality of small-size imaging detectors to image at least a portion of the structure of interest; and

acquiring imaging data with the at least a portion of the plurality of small-size imaging detectors.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising positioning the plurality of small-size imaging detectors in one of a ring, an arc, more than one ring, and more than one arc proximate to the structure of interest within the patient.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the imaging data further comprises at least one of cardiac data, breast data and brain data.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the structure of interest further comprises at least one breast, the method further comprising aiming the FOV of at least a portion of the plurality of small-sized imaging detectors to image at least a portion of the at least one breast.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

positioning a plurality of pinhole collimators proximate to the plurality of small-size imaging detectors, each of the pinhole collimators having a FOV; and

positioning the plurality of small-size imaging detectors to be at least partially within the FOV of the pinhole collimators.

13. The method of claim 8, the plurality of small-size imaging detectors remaining stationary with respect to the patient while acquiring the imaging data.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the anatomy of interest is the heart, the method further comprising acquiring first through N sub-sets of imaging data over time, each sub-set comprising imaging data from the at least a portion of the plurality of small-size imaging detectors.

15. A method for acquiring imaging data with a plurality of imaging detectors, comprising:

configuring at least a portion of a plurality of imaging detectors to be proximate to a structure of interest within a patient, each of the at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors having a pinhole collimator positioned proximate thereto and having a field of view (FOV);

aiming the FOV of the at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors to image at least a portion of the structure of interest;

acquiring imaging data with the at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors while the at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors remain stationary with respect to the patient; and

processing the imaging data from the at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors to form at least one multi-dimensional dataset having at least three dimensions.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising positioning the at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors in at least one of at least one arc and at least one circle proximate to the anatomy of interest.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the anatomy of interest is the heart, the method further comprising acquiring first through N sub-sets of imaging data over time, each sub-set comprising imaging data from the at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the pinhole collimators are adjustable pinhole collimators, the method further comprising adjusting at least one of the adjustable pinhole collimators to change the FOV of at least one of the plurality of imaging detectors.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the structure of interest is a heart, the method further comprising acquiring gated imaging data.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the structure of interest is a heart, the method further comprising acquiring dynamic imaging data.