Emission/transmission device for use with a dual head nuclear medicine gamma camera with the transmission source located behind the emission collimator
First Claim
1. A diagnostic imaging system comprising:
- a gantry for movably supporting first and second detector heads oppositely disposed on the gantry, each detector head receiving emission radiation from an examination region and generating emission data indicative thereof;
first and second collimators mounted on radiation receiving faces of the first and second detector head, respectively, for collimating the radiation received by the first and second detector heads;
a transmission radiation source mounted to traverse along the first collimator between the radiation receiving face of the first detector head and the examination region such that the second detector head receives both emission radiation from the examination region and transmission radiation from the transmission radiation source, the second detector head further generating transmission data indicative of the transmission radiation received;
a radiation blocking shield mounted to traverse along the first collimator with the transmission radiation source, the radiation blocking shield being disposed between the transmission radiation source and the first detector head radiation receiving face such that the transmission radiation is blocked from being received by the first detector head; and
a reconstruction processor for reconstructing a volumetric image representation from the emission and transmission data.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A SPECT system includes two radiation detector heads (32) and (34) which are mounted opposite each other to a gantry (30) for rotation about a subject. The subject is injected with a source of emission radiation, which emission radiation passes through a collimator (38) mounted on each detector head and is received by a radiation receiving face of the detector heads. A radiation source (40) is disposed between the collimator (38) of one detector head and the face of the one detector head. Transmission radiation from the radiation source (40) passes through the collimator (38), through the subject, and is received by the opposite detector head concurrently with the emission radiation. Alternately, a radiation source (40) is disposed behind the collimator of both detector heads (32, 34) such that both detector heads concurrently receive emission and transmission radiation. The detector heads (32, 34) generate emission and transmission projection data indicative of the received emission and transmission radiation. A sorter (70) sorts the emission and transmission projection data and the data is stored into a projection view memory (72). The emission data is corrected (78) in accordance with the transmission data and into a three-dimensional image representation (80).
73 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A diagnostic imaging system comprising:
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a gantry for movably supporting first and second detector heads oppositely disposed on the gantry, each detector head receiving emission radiation from an examination region and generating emission data indicative thereof; first and second collimators mounted on radiation receiving faces of the first and second detector head, respectively, for collimating the radiation received by the first and second detector heads; a transmission radiation source mounted to traverse along the first collimator between the radiation receiving face of the first detector head and the examination region such that the second detector head receives both emission radiation from the examination region and transmission radiation from the transmission radiation source, the second detector head further generating transmission data indicative of the transmission radiation received; a radiation blocking shield mounted to traverse along the first collimator with the transmission radiation source, the radiation blocking shield being disposed between the transmission radiation source and the first detector head radiation receiving face such that the transmission radiation is blocked from being received by the first detector head; and a reconstruction processor for reconstructing a volumetric image representation from the emission and transmission data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A diagnostic imaging system comprising:
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a gantry for movably supporting first and second detector heads oppositely disposed on the gantry, each detector head receiving emission radiation from an examination region and generating emission data indicative thereof; a first collimator grid mounted between the radiation receiving face of the first detector head and the examination region, for collimating the radiation received by the first detector head; a second collimator grid mounted between the radiation receiving face of the second detector head and the examination region, for collimating the radiation received by the second detector head; a movable transmission radiation source movably disposed between the first detector head and a front face of the first collimator grid, the second detector head receiving both emission radiation from the examination region and transmission radiation from the transmission radiation source, the second detector head further generating transmission data indicative of the transmission radiation received; a radiation source shield surrounding a portion of the transmission radiation source such that transmission radiation from the transmission radiation source is directed toward the second detector head and blocked from being received by the first detector head; and a reconstruction processor for reconstructing a volumetric image representation from the emission and transmission data.
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12. In a diagnostic imaging system for examining a subject in an examination region who has been injected with a radiopharmaceutical having a first characteristic energy level, the imaging system including a pair of detector heads oppositely mounted across the examination region for receiving emission radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceutical and a reconstruction processor for reconstructing an image representation based on the radiation received by the detector heads, each detector head having a collimator mounted on a radiation receiving face of the detector heads, the improvement comprising:
a transmission radiation source movably disposed between the collimator of one of the detector heads and its radiation receiving face, the transmission radiation source selectively transmitting transmission radiation having a second characteristic energy level through the collimators such that the other detector head concurrently receives both the emission radiation and the transmission radiation while the one detector head is shielded from receiving transmission radiation from the transmission radiation source.
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13. A collimator for diagnostic imaging systems which include a detector head which has a radiation receiving face for receiving emission radiation from a subject which has been injected with a radiopharmaceutical, which radiation has passed through the collimator, the collimator comprising:
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a series of vanes, the vanes extending between a subject facing surface and a detector head facing surface; a guide assembly disposed along the detector head facing surface of the vanes; a carrier for carrying a transmission radiation source mounted to the guide assembly, the carrier being selectively translatable along the guide assembly behind the vanes such that the carrier temporarily blocks the emission radiation from reaching a portion of the radiation receiving face of the associated detector head during translation, the carrier blocking radiation from the carried transmission radiation source from impinging on the radiation receiving face of the associated detector head and directing the radiation from the carried radiation source through the vanes of the collimator toward the subject, whereby the radiation source carrier is selectively translatable along the guide assembly to transmit radiation toward the subject while the detector head radiation receiving face is receiving radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceutical injected into the subject.
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14. A method of diagnostic imaging with a camera system including a first detector head having a first collimator mounted adjacent a radiation receiving face thereof and a second detector head having a second collimator mounted adjacent a radiation receiving face thereof, the first and second detector heads being disposed on opposite sides of an examination region and rotatable therearound, the method comprising:
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injecting a radiopharmaceutical into a subject in the examination region, the radiopharmaceutical emitting radiation of a first characteristic energy; moving a radiation source along the first collimator between the first detector head radiation receiving face and the examination region shielding a portion of the first detector head radiation face from receiving radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceutical, the radiation source being configured to transmit radiation toward the examination region; shielding the radiation source to block radiation transmitted by the radiation source from being received by the first detector head; moving the detector heads around the examination region; with the first detector head, receiving radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceutical; with the second detector head, receiving radiation transmitted from the radiation source and radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceutical through the second collimator. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification