Sensing head and collimator for gamma-camera

• US 6,365,900 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Allemand, Robert, Campagnolo, Raymond, Mestais, Corinne
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hobden, Pamela R.
• Application Number:
  US09/331,582
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 378/147, 378/363.1, 378/363.02, 250/363.1, 250/363.02
• US Class Current: 250/363.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A detection head and collimator for a gamma camera. The detection head includes several elementary detectors with semiconductors adjacent to each other to form a detection plane. The collimator is placed in front of the detection plane and includes a number of ducts laid out in a repetition pattern. The shape of the elementary detectors and the repetition pattern are rectangular in the detection plane.

Claims

1. Gamma camera detection head comprising:

elementary semiconductor detectors, approximately identical and placed adjacent to each other to form a detection plane; and

a collimator placed in front of the detection plane, including a number of ducts configured to carry gamma radiation, each duct approximately identical to each other and laid out in a repetition pattern,

wherein a shape of the elementary detectors and the repetition pattern are rectangular in the detection plane and a length and a width of the repetition pattern are sub-multiples of a length and a width of the elementary detectors.

2. Detection head according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the shape of the elementary detectors and the shape of the repetition pattern is square in the detection plane.

3. Detection head according to claim 2, wherein the width and length of the repetition pattern is equal to one third of the width and length of the individual detectors.

4. Detection head according to claim 2, wherein the width and length of the repetition pattern is equal to half the width and length of the individual detectors.

7. Gamma camera comprising a detection head according to one of claims 1 to 4.

5. Gamma camera collimator comprising:

a number of ducts configured to carry gamma radiation to elementary detectors, said ducts approximately identical with and parallel to each other and laid out in a repetition pattern, the ducts having a square transverse cross-section and having a length and a width of the repetition pattern which are sub-multiples of a length and a width of the elementary detectors.

6. Gamma camera comprising a collimator according to claim 5.