System and Method for Performing Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (Spect) with a Focal-Length Cone-Beam Collimation

• US 20080302950A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brigham and Women's Hospital Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Brigham and Women's Hospital Incorporated
• Inventors: Park, Mi-Ae, Moore, Stephen C., Kijewski, Marie Foley
• Application Number:
  US12/063,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/216
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/025 using multiple collimators, e.g. Bucky screens; other devices for eliminating undesired or dispersed radiation

Abstract

A system and method are provided for obtaining data that may be used to generate images of a brain or other bodily organ. The system can include a pair of detecting arrangements and a collimating arrangement associated with each detecting arrangement. A first collimating arrangement can include a cone-beam collimating arrangement having a focal point located within the brain or other organ being imaged. A second collimating arrangement can include a fan-beam collimating arrangement having a focal length selected such that the organ being imaged lies within its field of view to ensure data sufficiency. Cone-beam collimating arrangements having improved hole geometries can also be utilized to provide further increases in imaging sensitivity.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing at least one image of at least one portion of a bodily organ, comprising:

a first detecting arrangement and a second detecting arrangement;

a first collimating arrangement associated with the first detecting arrangement, wherein the first collimating arrangement comprises a cone-beam collimating arrangement and wherein a focal point of the first collimating arrangement is provided within the at least one portion of the bodily organ; and

a second collimating arrangement associated with the second detecting arrangement, wherein the second collimating arrangement comprises a fan-beam collimating arrangement and wherein all of the at least one portion of the bodily organ is provided within a field of view of the second collimating arrangement.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cone-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length between about 17 cm and 23 cm.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cone-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length between about 19 cm and 21 cm.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cone-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length of about 20 cm.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length between about 35 and 40 cm.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length between about 36 and 38 cm.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length between about 40 and 50 cm.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length between about 40 and 45 cm.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fan-beam collimating arrangement has a focal length of about 40 cm.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cone-beam collimating arrangement comprises holes having an approximately constant size throughout the cone-beam collimating arrangement.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cone-beam collimating arrangement comprises holes having a constant size over a front surface of the cone-beam collimating arrangement, and wherein a cross-section of at least a portion of the holes increases with depth in the cone-beam collimating arrangement.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cone-beam collimating arrangement comprises a hybrid ultra-short cone-beam/slant collimating arrangement.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third detecting arrangement and a third collimating arrangement associated with the third detecting arrangement, wherein the third collimating arrangement comprises a further cone-beam collimating arrangement, and wherein a focal point of the third collimating arrangement is provided within the at least one portion of the bodily organ.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a focal length of the first collimating arrangement is different from a focal length of the third collimating arrangement.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bodily organ is a brain.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bodily organ is a heart.

17. A method for generating data associated with an image of at least one portion of a bodily organ, comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first detecting arrangement, wherein the first signal is associated with first radiation emitted from the at least one portion of the bodily organ that passes through a first collimating arrangement which has a focal point within the at least one portion;

receiving a second signal from a second detecting arrangement, wherein the second signal is associated with second radiation emitted from the at least one portion of the bodily organ that passes through a second collimating arrangement, and wherein all of the at least one portion of the bodily organ lies within a field of view of the second collimating arrangement; and

generating the data based on the first signal and the second signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating at least one image based on the data.

19. A software arrangement for generating image data associated with at least one portion of a bodily organ, comprising:

a first set of instructions which, when executed by a processing arrangement, is capable of receiving a first data set from a first detecting arrangement, wherein the first data set is associated with a position of the first detector and with first radiation emitted from the at least one portion of the bodily organ that passes through a first collimating arrangement having a focal point within the at least one portion of the bodily organ;

a second set of instructions which, when executed by the processing arrangement, is capable of receiving a second data set from a second detecting arrangement, wherein the second data set is associated with a position of the second detector and with second radiation emitted from the at least one portion of the bodily organ that passes through a second collimating arrangement, and wherein all of the at least one portion of the bodily organ lies within a field of view of the second collimating arrangement; and

a third set of instructions which, when executed by the processing arrangement, is capable of generating the image data based on the first data set and the second data set.