Miniature gamma camera
First Claim
1. An apparatus for converting images of radiation emitting objects into visible light images, comprising:
- means for providing at an exit face a plurality of aligned rays of invisible radiation from an extended radiation emitting object;
means including a microchannel plate image intensifier tube, for visible light intensification; and
input means having a continuous entry surface disposed coextensively with said exit face for receiving all of said aligned rays, for converting said plurality of aligned rays into visible light and for coupling said aligned ray providing means and said visible light intensification means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A completely portable, rugged camera for providing in real time, visual light images of extended objects emitting low energy X-ray and gamma-ray photons. Collimated radiation eminating from extended objects such as internal anatomical organ structures which have absorbed low dosages of radio-active isotopes, are filtered through a visible light shield, converted into visible light photons, and, alternatively magnified or demagnified while spatial orientation is maintained. The visible light photons are subsequently intensified, in one or more cascaded stages, through conversions into electrons, multiplied through micro-channel plate electron multipliers, and reconverted by a phosphor screen to visible light and provide a high spatial resolution visual light image either directly to a viewer or to a device such as an image recorder.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. An apparatus for converting images of radiation emitting objects into visible light images, comprising:
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means for providing at an exit face a plurality of aligned rays of invisible radiation from an extended radiation emitting object; means including a microchannel plate image intensifier tube, for visible light intensification; and input means having a continuous entry surface disposed coextensively with said exit face for receiving all of said aligned rays, for converting said plurality of aligned rays into visible light and for coupling said aligned ray providing means and said visible light intensification means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 41)
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23. An apparatus for converting images of radiation emitting objects into visible light images, comprising:
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means for providing at an exit face a plurality of aligned rays of invisible radiation from an extended radiation emitting object; means having a single and continuous entry surface disposed coextensively with said exit face for receiving all of said aligned rays, and for converting said aligned rays of radiation into visible light; means including a microchannel plate image intensifier tube, for visible light intensification; and means for light coupling said converting means and said visible light intensification means. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for converting images of radiation emitting objects into visible light images, comprising:
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a multi-channel collimator having a multiplicity of passages in an ordered array providing, at an exit face, rays of invisible radiation from an extended radiation emitting object; shielding means adjoining said exit face for allowing passage of said rays while restricting passage of light visible to the human eye; intermediate means having a single and continuous entry face disposed coextensively with and separated by said shielding means from said exit face, for receiving all of said rays passing through said exit face and said shielding means, and for converting said rays of radiation into visible light; and means including a first microchannel plate image intensifying tube having first input fiber optics conveying said visible light from said intermediate means to a photocathode, and a second microchannel plate image intensifying tube cascaded with said first microchannel plate image intensifying tube and having second fiber optics directly conveying invisible light from said first microchannel plate image intensifying tube to another photocathode, for providing visible light images. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. An apparatus for converting images of radiation emitting objects into stereoscopic visible light images, comprising:
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means having a multiplicity of passages for providing at first and second exit faces, two groups of rays of invisible radiation emanating from two different and partially overlapping views of an extended radiation emitting object; said providing means defining a first major axis with said first exit face and defining a second major axis with said second exit face, said first and second major axes intersecting within a field of view of said ray providing means; shielding means adjoining said ray providing means for allowing passage of said rays while restricting passage of light visible to the human eye; first intermediate means having a single and continuous entry face disposed coextensively with a first one of said exit faces, for converting into visible light all of said rays emanating from said object within a first one of said views and passing through said first exit face and said shielding means; second intermediate means having a single and continuous entry face disposed coextensively with a second one of said exit faces, for converting into second visible light all of said rays emanating from said object within a second one of said views and passing through said second exit face and said shielding means; first means including a first microchannel plate image intensifying tubes having first input fiber optics conveying said visible light from said first intermediate means to a photocathode, for providing visible light images along a third axis; and second means including a second microchannel plate image intensifying tube having second input fiber optics conveying said visible light from said second intermediate means to a photocathode, for providing visible light images along a fourth axis spaced apart from said third axis. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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Specification