Method and apparatus for producing tomographic images
First Claim
1. A device useful in producing a tomographic image of a selected slice of an object to be examined comprising:
- a source of penetrating radiation,sweep means for forming energy from said source into a pencil beam and for repeatedly sweeping said pencil beam over a line in space to define a sweep plane,first means for supporting an object to be examined so that said pencil beam intersects said object along a path passig through said object and said selected slice,line collimating means for filtering radiation scattered by said object, said line collimating means having a field of view which intersects said sweep plane in a bounded line so that said line collimating means passes only radiation scattered by elementary volumes of said object lying along said bounded line, said line collimating means including a plurality of channels such substantially planar in form to collectively define said field of view, said channels oriented so that said pencil beam sweeps along said bounded line as a function of time, andradiation detector means responsive to radiation passed by said line collimating means
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for the production of tomographic images includes a flying spot scanner to form, from a beam of penetrating radiation, a pencil beam sweeping over a line in space to define a sweep plane. An object to be examined is supported so that the pencil beam intersects the object along a path passing through the object and a selected slice of the object. A line collimator is provided for filtering radiation scattered by the object, the line collimator has a field of view which intersects the sweep plane in a bounded line so that the line collimator passes only that radiation scattered by elementary volumes of the object lying along the bounded line. A radiation detector responds to that portion of the scattered radiation which is passed by the line collimator.
141 Citations
59 Claims
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1. A device useful in producing a tomographic image of a selected slice of an object to be examined comprising:
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a source of penetrating radiation, sweep means for forming energy from said source into a pencil beam and for repeatedly sweeping said pencil beam over a line in space to define a sweep plane, first means for supporting an object to be examined so that said pencil beam intersects said object along a path passig through said object and said selected slice, line collimating means for filtering radiation scattered by said object, said line collimating means having a field of view which intersects said sweep plane in a bounded line so that said line collimating means passes only radiation scattered by elementary volumes of said object lying along said bounded line, said line collimating means including a plurality of channels such substantially planar in form to collectively define said field of view, said channels oriented so that said pencil beam sweeps along said bounded line as a function of time, and radiation detector means responsive to radiation passed by said line collimating means - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 40)
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18. A method useful in generating a tomographic image of a selected slice of an object comprising the steps of:
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providing a source of penetrating radiation, forming a pencil beam from energy emitted by said source and repeatedly sweeping said pencil beam over a line in space, supporting an object to be examined so that said pencil beam intersects said object along a path passing through said object and said selected slice, filtering radiation scattered by said object to pass only radiation scattered by elementary volumes of said object lying along a line defined by a succession of intersections between said path and said selected slice by interposing a radiation absorbing structure with plural, substantially planar, radiation transmitting channels between said object and a radiation detector, said channels interposed relative to the sweeping pencil beam so that said pencil beam sweeps along said line as a function of time, and detecting radiation passed by said filtered step. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. Apparatus useful for tomographic imaging of a selected slice of an object comprising:
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radiation detector means providing, at any time a single output signal indicative of radiation reaching all portions of said detector means, collimating means adjacent to said radiation detector means with a field of view to pass to said radiation detector means scattered energy originating within said field of view, said collimating means including a plurality of channels each substantially planar in form to collectively define said field of view, a source of penetrating radiation, sweep means for forming radiation from said source into a pencil beam and for sweeping said pencil beam over a line in space so as to define a sweep plane, said sweep plane intersecting said field of view in a bounded line, said sweep means sweeping said pencil beam over said bounded line as a function of time, means for supporting an object to be imaged so that said bounded line lies within a selected slice which is to be imaged, means for providing relative motion between said object and said collimating means so that, as a function of time said bounded line traces said selected slice, and image means responsive to a time sequence of output signals for forming an image. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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41. A device useful in producing a tomographic image of a selected slice of an object to be examined comprising:
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a source of penetrating radiation, sweep means for forming energy from said source into a pencil beam and for repeatedly sweeping said pencil beam over a line in space to define a sweep plane, first means for supporting an object to be examined so that said pencil beam intersects said object and said selected slice, second means for detecting radiation scattered, at any instant, by one of a group of selected volume elements in said slice, said second means subtending a large solid angle relative to said one selected volume element, said second means including; radiation detector means developing an any instant in time a single signal reflecting radiation impinging on said radiation detector means, and a collimator located between said object and said radiation detector means, said collimator including; a plurality of radiation transmitting channels collectively establishing a field of view which intersects said sweep plane in a preferential line which is a locus of a plurality of said selected volume elements so that said collimator passes radiation scattered by different elementary volume elements of said object lying along said preferential line as said sweep illuminates the different volume elements lying along said preferential line. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification