Device for measuring local radiation absorption in a body

• US 4,057,725 A
• Filed: 09/05/1975
• Issued: 11/08/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wagner, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Willis, Davis L.
• Application Number:
  US05/610,616
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 250/336, 250/359, 250/360, 250/363, 250/366, 250/369, 250/445 T
• US Class Current: 378/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/08 Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4014 arranged in multiple source-detector units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4275 using a detector unit almost surrounding the patient, e.g. more than 180°

Abstract

A device for measuring the spatial distribution of radiation absorption in a body wherein a multiplicity of radiators are regularly distributed about a circle surrounding the body, each radiator emitting a wedge-shaped beam of radiation in the plane of the circle toward a different arc portion of the circle between two other radiators, a multiplicity of adjoining detectors in each arc portion measuring radiation from the radiator emitting radiation to that arc portion, the spatial distribution of radiation absorption being calculated from the measured radiation values of all the detectors.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the spatial distribution of radiation absorption in a body, comprising:

a multiplicity of radiators regularly distributed about a circle of diameter sufficient to surround said body, each radiator emitting a wedge-shaped beam of radiation in the plane of said circle toward a different arc portion of said circle between two other radiators; and

a multiplicity of adjoining detectors in each of said different arc portions of said circle to measure radiation from the associated radiator emitting radiation thereto, each detector having only a comparatively small effective measuring field, the spatial distribution being calculated from the measured radiation values from said detectors.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said circle of radiators and detectors is rotatable in the plane thereof with respect to said body to measure radiation values in different rotary orientations thereof.

3. The device defined in claim 2 wherein said radiators and detectors may be successively rendered effective.