Radiopharmaceutical CZT sensor and apparatus

• US 9,417,332 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health 414 LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 414 LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bouton, Chad E., Husnu, Mehmet
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Christine
• Application Number:
  US13/550,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20130015361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 250/370.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/161 Applications in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting apparatus for radiation diagnosis A61B6/00
• 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 1/167 Measuring radioactive content of objects, e.g. contamination whole body counters G01T1/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/24 with semiconductor detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/241 Electrode arrangements, e.g. continuous or parallel strips or the like constructional or manufacturing details H01L31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/249 specially adapted for use in SPECT or PET SPECT imaging G01T1/1642; PET imaging G01T1/2985; detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects G01V5/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2928 using solid state detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0203 Containers; Encapsulations , e.g. encapsulation of photodiodesfor photovoltaic devices H01L31/048; for organic photosensitive devices H10K30/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0296 including, apart from doping material or other impurities, only AIIBVI compounds, e.g. CdS, ZnS, HgCdTe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02966 including ternary compounds, e.g. HgCdTe
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/085 the device being sensitive to very short wavelength, e.g. X-ray, Gamma-rays

Abstract

A gamma ray detector includes a gamma ray detecting rod elongated along a longitudinal axis, wherein gamma ray detection is enhanced along the longitudinal axis, and a gamma ray shield encapsulating the rod, the shield having an aperture at an end of the detecting rod along the longitudinal axis to admit gamma rays substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated detecting rod, wherein gamma ray detection is enhanced along the longitudinal axis and aperture to substantially collimate the sensitivity of the gamma ray detector along the combined aperture and longitudinal axis of the detecting rod.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting radioactivity of a sample in a container of known dimensions comprising:

a first gamma ray detector arranged below a lower surface of the container with respect to gravity; and

a second gamma ray detector arranged above an upper surface of the container with respect to gravity, opposite the first gamma ray detector;

wherein each of the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector have enhanced sensitivity along their respective longitudinal axes;

wherein each of the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector detect radioactivity from the sample in the container; and

a processor configured to determine one or more of a volume of the sample and a concentration of a radionuclide in the sample based on at least the volume of the container, the radioactivity detected by the first gamma ray detector and the radioactivity detected by the second gamma ray detector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector comprise cadmium zinc telluride (CZT).

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

each of the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector is elongated along a longitudinal axis;

each of the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector is enclosed in a shield having an aperture adjacent a longitudinal end of the respective gamma ray detector; and

wherein the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector are configured to detect gamma rays passing through the respective aperture in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a logarithm of a ratio of the radioactivity detected by the second gamma ray detector to the radioactivity detected by the first gamma ray detector is substantially linear in proportion to a volume of the sample present in the container.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radioactivity detected by the first gamma ray detector is equal to the radioactivity detected by the second gamma ray detector when the container is full.

6. A method of detecting radioactivity of a sample present in a container, comprising:

providing a first gamma ray detector below a lower surface of the container and a second gamma ray detector above an upper surface of the container opposite the first gamma ray detector;

detecting a radioactivity level of the sample present in the container via both the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector; and

determining one or more of a volume of the sample and a concentration of a radionuclide in the sample based on at least the volume of the container, the radioactivity level detected by the first gamma ray detector and the radioactivity level detected by the second gamma ray detector.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector comprise cadmium zinc telluride (CZT).

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining one or more of a volume of the sample and a concentration of a radionuclide in the sample uses a logarithm of a ratio of the radioactivity level detected by the second gamma ray detector to the radioactivity level detected by the first gamma ray detector.

9. An apparatus for detecting radioactivity of a sample in a container of known dimensions comprising:

a container;

a first gamma ray detector arranged below a lower surface of the container with respect to gravity; and

a second gamma ray detector arranged above an upper surface of the container with respect to gravity, opposite the first gamma ray detector;

wherein each of the first gamma ray detector and the second gamma ray detector detect radioactivity from the sample in the container; and

a processor configured to determine one or more of a volume of the sample and a concentration of a radionuclide in the sample based on at least the volume of the container, the radioactivity detected by the first gamma ray detector and the radioactivity detected by the second gamma ray detector.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a logarithm of a ratio of the radioactivity level detected by the second gamma ray detector to the radioactivity level detected by the first gamma ray detector is substantially linear in proportion to a volume of the sample present in the container.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the radioactivity level detected by the first gamma ray detector is equal to the radioactivity level detected by the second gamma ray detector when the container is full.