Radioimaging

• US 20080230705A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Dynamics Medical Ltd
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Dynamics LLC
• Inventors: Rousso, Benny, Ben-Haim, Shlomo, Vallabhajosula, Shankar, Dickman, Dalia, Nagler, Michael, Zilberstein, Yoel, Melman, Haim, Ravhon, Ran, Bronshtine, Zohar, Ziv, Omer, Berman, Daniel, Weissberg, Nir, Ben-Haim, Simona, Dichterman, Eli, Roth, Nathaniel, Popper, Ziv
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/363.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• 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 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• 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

Radioimaging methods, devices and radiopharmaceuticals therefor.

Claims

1. A method of radioactive imaging, comprising:

(a) providing an isotope in a body;

(b) receiving radiation from said body using a radiation camera; and

(c) reconstructing a 3D distribution of said isotope from said received radiation,

wherein said camera is tailored to a specific body structure with respect to the functional information gained about the body structures.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said tailoring comprises:

identifying preferred sets of views for measurements, based on one or more of a model of the body structure and an information theoretic measure; and

optimize the functional information gained when performing measurements on the body structure, in vivo.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

performing a second iteration of imaging, for identifying preferred sets of views for measurements, based on a model of a location of a pathology that is identified following said reconstructing.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said camera is programmed to provide a preferred sets of radioactive-emission-measuring views automatically.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said body structure comprises a prostate.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said camera is configured to be placed inside a body lumen.

7. A radioactive-emission-measuring camera system for imaging internal body structures, comprising:

(a) a radiation camera, which comprises an assembly of blocks, the blocks being adapted for individual oscillatory motion, to provide views from different orientations; and

(b) circuitry adapted to reconstruct an image from signal received by said camera.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said assembly is adapted for rotational motion around its longitudinal axis, to provide views from different orientations.

9. A system according to claim 7, comprising a housing which does not move with said assembly.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein said circuitry provides said movements automatically in response to collected radiation.

11. A system according to claim 7, wherein said system is tailored for imaging a specific internal body structure from inside a body lumen.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said lumen is selected from a group consisting of an esophagus, a rectum and a female reproductive organ.

13. A system according to claim 7, wherein the structure selected from a group consisting of a prostate, a female reproductive organ, an abdominal organ and a thoracic organ.

14. A method of nuclear imaging, comprising:

identifying a patient as being obese or having large amounts of tissue overlying a tissue of interest which causes a reduced image quality;

inserting an imaging probe including an oscillating element into said patient in proximity to said tissue;

reconstructing an image from radiation collected by said probe.

15. A radioactive-emission-measuring camera system, comprising:

a camera which comprises one or more lines of assemblies, each formed as a row of detecting blocks, wherein the blocks are adapted for individual oscillatory motion to provide views from different orientations, and the lines of assemblies are adapted for individual rotational motion around their longitudinal axis, to provide views from different orientations; and

circuitry configured to reconstruct an image from radiation collected by said detecting blocks.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said circuitry and said camera are tailored for cardiac imaging.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein said circuitry is configured for identifying a preferred sets of views for measurements for a portion of a heart, based on models of a location of a pathology that is identified in a specific location in the heart based on a reconstructed image.

18. A radioactive-emission-measuring camera, comprising:

a body;

a plurality of radiation detecting blocks, each adapted for at least one rotational motion and mounted on said body.

19. A camera according to claim 18, comprising circuitry adapted to generate views from different orientations corresponding to said motion and tailored for imaging a brain.

20. A camera according to claim 18, wherein said body is configured as a helmet.

21. A camera according to claim 18, comprising circuitry adapted to generate views from different orientations corresponding to said motion and tailored for imaging a breast.

22. A camera according to claim 21, comprising a breast compactor.

23. A camera according to claim 22, wherein said compactor comprises two plates, which compress the breast between them.

24. A camera according to claim 22, wherein said compactor comprises a suction cup.

25. A combined radiation emission imager and non-radiation scanner, comprising:

(a) a radiation emission detection camera;

(b) a non-radiation emission 3D imager on a same frame of reference as said camera; and

(c) at least one circuitry configured to reconstruct an image acquired by either of said camera and imager in a same time frame.

26. A scanner according to claim 25, wherein said camera is detachable from said imager.

27. A scanner according to claim 25, wherein said circuitry reconstructs a series of images from each of said camera and imager at a same rate.

28. A scanner according to claim 25 comprising a bed adapted for automatically carrying a patient through the radioactive-emission-measuring camera and through the three-dimensional structural imager.

29. A scanner according to claim 25 wherein an image reconstructed from said imager is used to guide an acquisition by said camera.

30. A method of interlaced radiation imaging, comprising:

(a) providing a radioactive-emission-measuring, camera including a plurality of detecting block units;

(b) moving the detecting blocks to a position and collecting emission data while stationary;

(c) stepping to a new position; and

(d) stepping back to an interlaced position intermediate the position and the new position.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said stepping and stepping back comprise multiple steps in a first direction followed by multiple steps back.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein said method is applied during a dynamic study.

33. A method of imaging, comprising:

(a) providing an isotope in a body;

(b) receiving radiation generated by said isotope from said body using a non-coincident radiation camera;

(c) reconstructing a plurality of 3D images of a distribution of said isotope from said received radiation;

each reconstruction reflecting a time window of less than 1 minute.

34. A radioactive-emission camera comprising a plurality of detectors, arranged in blocks of one or more detectors each, wherein each block is provided with independent motion, with respect to the other blocks, so that each block may view a predetermined region of interest, independent of actions of other blocks.

35. A camera according to claim 34, where each block includes at least 10 detectors.

36. A radioactive-emission camera, comprising at least one detector which views a region of interest in a sweeping motion so that a center of rotation of the motion is external to the region of interest.

37. A camera according to claim 36, comprising at least two detectors, arranged so that their sweeping partly overlaps, to view the same region from different angular orientations.

38. A camera according to claim 36, wherein said sweeping is configured to maximize an amount of information obtained from each x;

y;

z detector position, by looking in all directions from each x;

y;

z detector position.

39. A camera according to claim 36, wherein said sweeping is in a plane.

40. A camera according to claim 39, wherein said sweeping is in three dimensions.

41. A camera according to claim 36, wherein the detector sweeps the region of interest first in a x;

y plane and then in a different.

42. A camera according to claim 36, wherein said detector is part of a block of detectors.