Adjustable triple-detector image data acquisition system

• US 5,349,190 A
• Filed: 12/02/1991
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adam Laboratories Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adam Laboratories Inc.
• Inventors: Hug, Paul, Lamp, Mark L., Hines, Horace
• Primary Examiner(s): FIELDS, CAROLYN
• Application Number:
  US07/801,551
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 250/363.05, 250/363.08, 250/363.10, 250/363.04, 250/363.05, 250/363.02
• US Class Current: 250/363.05
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1642 using a scintillation crystal and position sensing photodetector arrays, e.g. ANGER cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1648 Ancillary equipment for scintillation cameras, e.g. reference markers, devices for removing motion artifacts, calibration devices adapted for flow studies G01T1/1647
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/166 involving relative movement between detector and subject scanners in general without using scintigraphy G01T1/2964

Abstract

An image data acquisition system for performing SPECT imaging and other types of imaging used in nuclear medicine includes an assembly of three detectors and a mechanical system for adjusting the relative angles of the detector image direction arrows, displacing the individual detectors along the image direction arrows, and rotating and displacing the detector assembly.

Claims

1. An imaging system for acquiring image data required to generate an image of an object, said system comprising:

a detector support structure having a major face and a right and a left detector support, each protruding along a lateral axis perpendicular to said major face of said support structure;

first, second, and third detectors, each housed in a rectangular detector support frame coupled to said support structure and characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said surface disposed perpendicular to the direction the detector is pointed;

a first angular displacement mechanism, coupled to a first corner mechanical interface of the first and second detector support frames, providing a range of relative angular displacement about an axis passing through said first corner and parallel to the lateral axis of 60°

to 120°

between said collimator surfaces of said first and second detectors;

a second angular displacement mechanism, coupled to a second corner mechanical interface of the second and third detector support frames, providing a range of relative angular displacement about an axis passing through said second corner and parallel to the lateral axis of 60°

to 120°

between said collimator surfaces of said second and third detectors;

a first radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said first detector for displacing said first detector toward or away from the object;

a second radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said second detector for displacing said second detector toward or away from the object;

a third radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said third detector for displacing said third detector toward or away from the object, where said first, second, and third detectors, said detector support frames, said first and second angular displacement mechanisms and said first, second, and third radial displacement mechanisms comprise a detector assembly;

means, coupled to said detector assembly, for displacing said detector assembly toward or away from the lateral axis; and

means, coupled to said means for displacing, for rotating said detector assembly about the lateral axis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating and said means for displacing said detector assembly comprises:

a base;

a shaft rotatably mounted in said base and oriented along the lateral axis;

a rotation arm mounted to a first end of said shaft which rotates with said shaft;

a shaft rotation mechanism, mounted to a second end of said shaft, for rotating said shaft and said rotation arm through a selected angle about the lateral axis;

a support arm having a first end movably coupled to a first end of said rotation arm and having a second end coupled to said detector support structure;

a counterweight movably coupled to a second end of said rotation arm; and

radial actuation means for selectively displacing said support arm and counterweight to displace said detector assembly toward or away from the lateral axis in equal increments to maintain the balance of said rotation arm.

3. An imaging system for acquiring image data required to generate an image of an object, said system comprising:

a detector support structure having a major face and a right and left detector support, each protruding along a lateral axis perpendicular to said major face of said support structure;

means for rotating said detector support structure about the lateral axis;

means, coupled to said means for rotating, for displacing said detector support structure toward or away from the lateral axis;

first, second, and third detectors, each housed in a rectangular detector support frame coupled to said support structure and characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said surface disposed perpendicular to the direction the detector is pointed;

a first angular displacement mechanism, coupling a lower edge of the first detector support frame to said detector support structure, for adjusting the angular displacement about an axis passing through said lower edge and parallel to the lateral axis from a range of 60°

to 120°

, relative to the lateral axis, between the collimator surfaces of said first and second detectors;

a second angular displacement mechanism, coupling a lower edge of the third detector support frame to said detector support structure, for adjusting the angular displacement about an axis passing through said lower edge and parallel to the lateral axis from a range of 60°

to 120°

, relative to the lateral axis, between the collimator surfaces of said second and third detectors;

a first radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said first detector and said first angular displacement mechanism, for displacing said first detector toward or away from the object;

a second radial displacement mechanism, coupling the second detector to the detector support structure, for moving said second detector toward or away from the object; and

a third radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said third detector and said third angular displacement mechanism, for displacing said third detector toward or away from the object.

4. An imaging system for acquiring image data required to generate an image of an object, said system comprising:

a detector support structure having a major face and a right and a left detector support, each protruding along a lateral axis perpendicular to said major face of said support structure;

first, second, and third detectors, each detector including a collimator having a substantially planar surface disposed perpendicular to the direction the detector is pointed and slots for guiding radiation emitted by the object with parallel slots of said first and third detectors slanted by a fixed angle from the normal to said planar face and parallel slots of said second detector parallel to the normal to said planar face to reduce the angular displacement between the slots of said first and second detectors;

a first angular displacement mechanism, coupled to a first corner mechanical interface of first and second detector support frames, providing a range of relative angular displacement about an axis passing through said first corner and parallel to the lateral axis of 60°

to 120°

between said collimator surfaces of said first and second detectors;

a second angular displacement mechanism, coupled to a second corner mechanical interface of said second detector support frame and a third detector support frame, providing a range of relative angular displacement about an axis passing through said second corner and parallel to the lateral axis of 60°

to 120°

between said collimator surfaces of said second and third detectors;

a first radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said first detector support frame, for displacing said first detector toward or away from the object;

a second radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said second detector support frame, for displacing said second detector toward or away from the object;

a third radial displacement mechanism, coupled to said third detector support frame, for displacing said third detector toward or away from the object, where said first, second, and third detectors, said detector support frames, said first and second angular displacement mechanisms and said first, second, and third radial displacement mechanisms comprise a detector assembly;

means, coupled to said detector assembly, for displacing said detector assembly toward or away from the lateral axis; and

means, coupled to said means for displacing, for rotating said detector assembly about the lateral axis where the slanted collimator slots of said first detector facilitate reducing the distance between the collimator of the second detector and the object when the object is non-circular and the second detector is oriented to take an anterior view of the object.

5. An imaging system for acquiring imaging data generated by an object positioned about a lateral axis, said system comprising:

a support structure having a substantially planar major face and a right and a left detector support, each protruding along the lateral axis perpendicular to said major face of said support structure;

means for supporting said support structure and for orienting said major face of said support structure along a first plane substantially perpendicular to the lateral axis;

means, coupled to said means for supporting, for angularly displacing said support structure about the lateral axis;

means, coupled to said means for supporting, for displacing said support structure toward or away from the lateral axis;

means for mounting a first detector, characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said surface disposed perpendicular to the direction said first detector is pointing, on said left detector support of said support structure so that the first detector collimator surface is oriented perpendicular to said first plane;

means for mounting a second detector, characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said second detector collimator surface disposed perpendicular to the direction said second detector is pointing, on said major face of said support structure so that the second detector collimator surface is oriented perpendicular to said first plane;

means for mounting a third detector, characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said third detector collimator surface disposed perpendicular to the direction said third detector is pointing, on said right detector support of said support structure so that the third detector collimator surface is oriented perpendicular to said first plane and where said second detector is mounted between said first and third detectors.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein:

said means for mounting said first detector further comprises means for pivoting the first detector to change the orientation of the first detector collimator surface.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein:

said means for mounting said first detector further includes means for moving said first detector along a path perpendicular to its collimator surface.

8. An imaging system for acquiring imaging data generated by an object positioned about a lateral axis, said system comprising:

a base;

a shaft, having first and second ends, with the first end rotatably mounted in said base and having an axis of rotation substantially coincident with the lateral axis;

a first detector characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said surface disposed perpendicular to the direction said first detector is pointing;

a second detector characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said second detector collimator surface disposed perpendicular to the direction said second detector is pointing;

a third detector characterized by a substantially planar collimator surface for receiving incident radiation and with said third detector collimator surface disposed perpendicular to the direction said third detector is pointing;

an arm, mounted on the second end of said shaft and having first and second ends and a major face oriented in a first plane perpendicular to the lateral axis;

a support structure, having a major surface oriented along the first plane, for supporting said first, second, and third detectors;

means, connecting said support structure and said arm, for moving said support structure toward or away from the lateral axis; and

means, coupled to said shaft, to rotate said shaft to angularly displace the support structure about the lateral axis.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

means for pivotally mounting said first detector on said support structure.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

means, coupled to said means for pivotally mounting, for displacing said first detector along a path perpendicular to said first detector collimator surface.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a collimator mounted on said first detector having parallel slots slanted by a fixed angle from the normal to the direction said first detector collimator face is pointed.