Tomography machine with gamma-ray detection
First Claim
1. In a gamma ray detection tomography machine including a bench for supporting a patient being examined, a gamma camera receiving gamma rays emitted by the patient and comprising:
- means rotationally mounting the camera about an axis passing through the patient;
means for collimating gamma rays emitted from the patient and including an array of elongated adjacent apertures formed through a thickness of material opaque to the gamma rays,(a) the array of apertures being divided into arrangements of apertures, the arrangements of apertures focusing gamma rays coming from individualized tomographic slices in the patient, the apertures having a base confronting the patient, and a top confronting an aligned scintillator, the tomographic slices being perpendicular to the axis;
(b) the area of each aperture base being smaller than the area of each aperture top;
(c) the centers between two adjacent aperture bases being closer than the centers between corresponding aperture tops;
(d) the centers of each aperture top and corresponding base defining a main direction line;
(i) all of the respective main direction lines, associated with a rectilinear series of adjacent apertures within an arrangement, being located in the same focal plane, adjacent focal planes relative to an arrangement defining a tomographic slice perpendicular to the axis by intersecting each other within the slice in the patient corresponding to the arrangement, the main direction lines of the apertures in each series intersecting behind the body;
(ii) all of the main direction lines, associated with a linear series of adjacent apertures, intersecting at a unique focal point;
an array of photomultiplier tubes located in aligned spaced relation with the scintillator for generating signals representing tomographic slice images taken perpendicular to the patient axis; and
circuit means for processing signals derived from the tubes and producing reconstructed tomographic images therefrom.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tomography machine with gamma ray detection has a collimator, the arrangements of holes of which are focused on a geometric slice of a patient'"'"'s body, the slice having a thickness determined a priori, for the examination of the slice. Reconstructed tomographic images of this body are obtained swiftly and efficiently. By shifting the tomography machine longitudinally, images of adjacent slices are obtained. This technique makes it possible to work with greater speed than by acquiring comprehensive 2D image projections of the entire body to be studied.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. In a gamma ray detection tomography machine including a bench for supporting a patient being examined, a gamma camera receiving gamma rays emitted by the patient and comprising:
-
means rotationally mounting the camera about an axis passing through the patient;
means for collimating gamma rays emitted from the patient and including an array of elongated adjacent apertures formed through a thickness of material opaque to the gamma rays,(a) the array of apertures being divided into arrangements of apertures, the arrangements of apertures focusing gamma rays coming from individualized tomographic slices in the patient, the apertures having a base confronting the patient, and a top confronting an aligned scintillator, the tomographic slices being perpendicular to the axis; (b) the area of each aperture base being smaller than the area of each aperture top; (c) the centers between two adjacent aperture bases being closer than the centers between corresponding aperture tops; (d) the centers of each aperture top and corresponding base defining a main direction line; (i) all of the respective main direction lines, associated with a rectilinear series of adjacent apertures within an arrangement, being located in the same focal plane, adjacent focal planes relative to an arrangement defining a tomographic slice perpendicular to the axis by intersecting each other within the slice in the patient corresponding to the arrangement, the main direction lines of the apertures in each series intersecting behind the body; (ii) all of the main direction lines, associated with a linear series of adjacent apertures, intersecting at a unique focal point; an array of photomultiplier tubes located in aligned spaced relation with the scintillator for generating signals representing tomographic slice images taken perpendicular to the patient axis; and circuit means for processing signals derived from the tubes and producing reconstructed tomographic images therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
Specification