Hand-held gamma camera

• US 6,723,988 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ELGEMS Ltd
• Original Assignee: ELGEMS Ltd
• Inventors: Wainer, Naor
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORAN, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US10/420,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20040065828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 250/336.1, 250/361.R, 250/363.02, 250/363.04, 250/370.01
• US Class Current: 250/336.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4423 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1642 using a scintillation crystal and position sensing photodetector arrays, e.g. ANGER cameras

Abstract

A radiation camera system, comprising:

a freely positionable radiation camera;

a spatial coordinate determining system that determines the coordinates of the camera; and

a receiver which receives the spatial coordinate information and imaging information, generated by the camera and provides imaging information referenced to a coordinate system not fixed in the camera.

Claims

1. A radiation camera system, comprising:

a freely positionable radiation camera;

a spatial coordinate determining system that determines the coordinates of the camera; and

a receiver which receives the spatial coordinate information and imaging information, generated by the camera and provides imaging information referenced to a coordinate system not fixed in the camera.

2. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 and including:

an image source;

image alignment circuitry that receives the imaging information and an image from the source and references the imaging information to the image from the source; and

a display that displays a radiation image based on the imaging information and the image from the source.

3. A radiation camera system according to claim 2 wherein the radiation image and the image from the source are displayed on a same coordinate system.

4. A radiation camera system according to claim 3 wherein the image from the source is a previous radiation image of a same portion of the patient.

5. A radiation camera system according to claim 2 wherein the image from the source is a CT image.

6. A radiation camera system according to claim 5 wherein the image from the source is a MRI image.

7. A radiation camera system according to claim 5 wherein the image from the source is an ocular image.

8. A radiation camera system according to claim 2 wherein the image from the source is a previous radiation image of a same portion of the patient.

9. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the radiation camera is a hand held camera.

10. A radiation camera system according to claim 9 wherein the spatial coordinate information is determined by the measurement of magnetic fields.

11. A radiation camera system according to claim 10 wherein the camera comprises sensors which measure electromagnetic fields generated by at least one fixed source to produce said spatial coordinate information.

12. A radiation camera system according to claim 11 including a receiver to which said spatial coordinate information is transferred, wherein said information is transferred to said receiver by wireless means.

13. A radiation camera system according to claim 11 and including a radiation detector having a sensitivity greater than that of the camera facing in a same direction as a field of view of the camera.

14. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the imaging information is transferred to a receiver from the camera by wireless means.

15. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera is a gamma camera.

16. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera is a beta camera.

17. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera is an Anger camera.

18. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the camera is a solid state camera.

19. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 including a position sensor mounted on the camera.

20. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the coordinate system is fixed in space.

21. A radiation camera system according to claim 1 wherein the coordinate system is referenced to a patient.