PET-MRI DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160252633A1
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Government of The Republic of Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Government of The Republic of Korea)
• Inventors: Ha, Jang Ho, Kim, Han Soo, Jeong, Man Hee, Kim, Young Soo, Yeo, Sun Mog
• Granted Patent: US 10,459,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/28 Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/381 using electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/241 Electrode arrangements, e.g. continuous or parallel strips or the like constructional or manufacturing details H01L31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2985 In depth localisation, e.g. using positron emitters; Tomographic imaging (longitudinal and transverse section imaging; apparatus for radiation diagnosis sequentially in different planes, steroscopic radiation diagnosis); using external radiation sources A61B6/02

Abstract

A PET-MRI device and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The PET device includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine comprising a solenoid coil and a magnetic-field correction coil, wherein the MRI machine has a cylindrical structure or a dipole structure; and a positron emission tomography (PET) machine comprising a PET image sensor, wherein PET image sensor electrodes are formed on one and the other ends of the PET image sensor that have a doughnut shape, and the PET machine has a cylindrical structure or a lattice structure, wherein the PET machine is formed in the MRI machine to allow a direction of an electric field of the PET machine to be parallel to a direction of a magnetic field of the MRI machine.

Claims

1. A PET-MRI device, comprising:

a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine comprising a solenoid coil and a magnetic-field correction coil, wherein the MRI machine has a cylindrical structure; and

a positron emission tomography (PET) machine comprising a PET image sensor, wherein PET image sensor electrodes are formed on ends of the PET image sensor that have a doughnut shape, and the PET machine has a cylindrical structure,

wherein the PET machine is formed in the MRI machine to allow a direction of an electric field of the PET machine to be parallel to a direction of a magnetic field of the MRI machine.

2. The PET-MRI device of claim 1, wherein the direction of the magnetic field is a length direction of the MRI machine, and the direction of the electric field is any one of the same direction or an opposite direction to the direction of the magnetic field.

3. The PET-MRI device of claim 1, wherein the PET machine is formed in a region of the MRI machine in which the magnetic field is uniform.

4. The PET-MRI device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field of the MRI and the electric field of the PET that are parallel to each other are not affected by each other according to the following equation:

{right arrow over (E)}×

{right arrow over (B)}=0

where {right arrow over (E)} is the direction of the electric field in the PET image sensor and {right arrow over (B )} is the direction of the magnetic field in the MRI machine.

5. The PET-MRI device of claim 1, wherein the PET image sensor comprises a combination of a scintillator and a silicon semiconductor or a single compound semiconductor.

6. The PET-MRI device of claim 1, wherein when an electron or a hole is generated by radioactivity, the PET image sensor circularly moves the electron before the electron reaches an electrode by the electric field, hits nearby atoms through a circular movement, generates a secondary electron and further induce amplification of a charge.

7. A PET-MRI device comprising:

an MRI machine having a dipole structure in which an upper magnet and a lower magnet are spaced apart from each other; and

a PET machine having a lattice structure comprising a first and a second PET image sensor, the first and the second PET image sensors having a horizontal bar shape,

wherein the first and the second PET image sensors are spaced apart in parallel to each other, and

the first and the second PET image sensors are formed between the upper magnet and the lower magnet to allow a direction of an electric field of the PET machine to be parallel to a direction of a magnetic field of the MRI machine.

8. The PET-MRI device of claim 7, wherein the first and the second PET image sensors are formed by connecting a plurality of PET image sensors forming a (+) pole and a (−

) pole respectively in a horizontal direction and have a horizontal bar shape.

9. The PET-MRI device of claim 7, wherein the PET machine further comprises a third and a fourth PET image sensor that has a vertical bar shape, and the third and the fourth PET image sensors are connected to the first and the second PET image sensors to form a ring shape.

10. The PET-MRI device of claim 9, wherein the third and the fourth PET image sensors are formed by stacking a plurality of PET image sensors forming a (+) pole and a (−

) pole respectively in a horizontal direction and have a vertical bar shape.

11. The PET-MRI device of claim 7, wherein the bottom of the upper magnet is an N pole or an S pole and the top of the lower magnet is an S pole or an N pole to match the upper magnet.

12. The PET-MRI device of claim 7, wherein the direction of the magnetic field is any one of a direction from the upper magnet toward the lower magnet and a direction from the lower magnet toward the upper magnet, and the direction of the electric field is any one of the same direction or an opposite direction to the direction of the magnetic field.

13. The PET-MRI device of claim 7, wherein the PET machine is formed in a certain region of the magnetic field between the upper magnet and the lower magnet.

14. The PET-MRI device of claim 7, wherein the magnetic field of the MRI machine and the electric field of the PET machine that are parallel to each other are not affected by each other according to the following equation:

{right arrow over (E)}×

{right arrow over (B)}=0

where {right arrow over (E)} is the direction of the electric field in the PET image sensor and {right arrow over (B )} is the direction of the magnetic field in the MRI machine.

15. The PET-MRI device of claim 7, wherein the PET image sensor comprises a combination of a scintillator and a silicon semiconductor or a single compound semiconductor.

16. The PET-MRI device of claim 15, wherein when an electron or a hole is generated by radioactivity, the electron or holes generating in PET image sensor moves circularly before the electron reaches an electrode by the electric field, hits nearby atoms through a circular movement, generates a secondary electron and further induce amplification of a charge.

17. A method of manufacturing a PET-MRI device, the method comprising:

providing an MRI machine;

providing a PET machine;

including the PET machine in the MRI machine to allow a direction of the magnetic field of the MRI machine to be parallel to a direction of the electric field of the PET machine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the providing of the PET machine comprises providing a PET machine in which a PET image sensor electrode comprising a combination of a scintillator and a silicon semiconductor is formed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the including of the PET machine in the MRI machine comprises including the PET machine in a region of the MRI machine in which the magnetic field is uniform.