Support unit, support device, and emission tomography device using support device

• US 10,188,357 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dongguan Songshan Lake Southern Medical University Sci & Tech Park Co Ltd
• Original Assignee: Dongguan Songshan Lake Southern Medical University Sci & Tech Park Co Ltd
• Inventors: Shi, Han, Xu, Jianfeng, Peng, Qiyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Malkowski, Kenneth J
• Application Number:
  US15/525,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/42 Arrangements for detecting radiation specially adapted for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/44 Constructional features of apparatus for radiation diagnosis

Abstract

A support unit (200), a support device (100) and an emission tomography device using the support device (100) are provided. The support unit (200) comprises: a support body (210), in which an accommodation space (220) that penetrates through the support body is provided, comprising multiple support positions (230A, 230B) that are distributed along a circumferential direction of the accommodation space (220); and multiple fastening means (240A, 240B), connected to at least some of the multiple support positions. At least some of the multiple fastening means (240A, 240B) can move between a contraction position and an extension position along a radial direction of the accommodation space (220). The fastening means (240A, 240B) are used to fasten detectors of the emission tomography device. When the fastening means (240A, 240B) are located at the contraction position, a first detector fastening ring of a first diameter is formed, and when the fastening means (240A, 240B) are located at the extension position, a second detector fastening ring of a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter is formed. The emission tomography device using the support unit (200) can adjust at least a radial length of a detection chamber, so that a relatively large three-dimensional space angle can be obtained, thereby improving detection sensitivity.

Claims

1. A support unit for an emission tomography device, characterized in that it comprises:

a support body, provided with an accommodation space running through the support body therein, wherein the support body comprises a plurality of support positions that are distributed along a circumferential direction of the accommodation space;

a plurality of fastening means, connected to at least a portion of the plurality of support positions, for fixing detectors of the emission tomography device, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of fastening means are movable between contraction positions and extension positions along radial directions of the accommodation space,

wherein the fastening means are used for forming a first detector fastening ring with a first diameter when at the contraction positions and forming a second detector fastening ring with a second diameter which is smaller than the first diameter when at the extension positions,

wherein the plurality of support positions are configured that when a predetermined number of the support units are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space, support positions on different support units are staggered and arranged alternately along the circumferential direction, in order for the fastening means on the predetermined number of the support units to form the first detector fastening ring alternately.

2. The support unit of claim 1, characterized in that:

when the fastening means are at the contraction positions, the fastening means on a plurality of the support units arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space are capable of forming the first detector fastening ring together.

3. The support unit of claim 1, characterized in that:

when the fastening means are at the extension positions, the fastening means on the same support body are capable of forming the second detector fastening ring;

or the fastening means on a plurality of the support units arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space are capable of forming the second detector fastening ring together.

4. The support unit of claim 1, characterized in that:

the plurality of the support positions are configured that when the predetermined number of the support units are arranged side by side along the axial direction, support positions on different support units are staggered and arranged alternately in the same order.

5. The support unit of claim 1, characterized in that:

the predetermined number is a composite number, the number of the extension positions is u, wherein u is the number of the prime factors of the composite number except 1, the u extension positions are arranged along the radial directions of the accommodation space and the distances from the u extension positions to the center of the accommodation space are respectively equal to the product of the reciprocal of each of the u prime factors and r, wherein r is the distance from the fastening means at the contraction position to the center of the accommodation space.

6. The support unit of claim 5, characterized in that:

the predetermined number is 2ⁿ, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; and

the number of the extension positions is n, and the distance from the n extension positions to the center of the accommodation space are equal to r/2, r/4, . . . r/2n, respectively.

7. The support unit of claim 1, characterized in that:

the support body has a rectangular plate-structure.

8. The support unit of claim 1, characterized in that:

the support body is provided with guide holes, for guiding the support unit to move along the axial direction of the accommodation space.

9. A support device for an emission tomography device, characterized in that it comprises:

a plurality of support units, wherein the plurality of support units are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space, and the accommodation space forms an accommodation chamber for accommodating detectors and a detected object, each of the plurality of support units comprising;

a support body, provided with an accommodation space running through the support body therein, wherein the support body comprises a plurality of support positions that are distributed along a circumferential direction of the accommodation space;

a plurality of fastening means, connected to at least a portion of the plurality of support positions, for fixing detectors of the emission tomography device, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of fastening means are movable between contraction positions and extension positions along radial directions of the accommodation space,

wherein the fastening means are used for forming a first detector fastening ring with a first diameter when at the contraction positions and forming a second detector fastening ring with a second diameter which is smaller than the first diameter when at the extension positions,

wherein the plurality of support positions are configured that when a predetermined number of the support units are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space, support positions on different support units are staggered and arranged alternately along the circumferential direction, in order for the fastening means on the predetermined number of the support units to form the first detector fastening ring alternately.

10. The support device of claim 9, characterized in that:

the support device further comprises a guide means, for moving the plurality of the support units along the axial direction of the accommodation space.

11. The support device of claim 10, characterized in that:

the guide means includes a guide rail arranged along the axial direction of the accommodation space and guide holes arranged on the support bodies, and the guide rail passes through the guide holes to guide the support units to move along the guide rail.

12. The support device of claim 11, characterized in that:

when the support body has a rectangular plate-structure, the guide means comprises four guide rails and four guide holes arranged at four corners of each of the support bodies.

13. The support device of claim 10, characterized in that the support device further comprises:

an elastic buffer means, arranged between the adjacent support units to apply equivalent elastic force to the support units on two sides of the elastic buffer means; and

a positioning device, for positioning the support units in the axial direction of the accommodation space.

14. The support device of claim 9, characterized in that:

when the fastening means are at the contraction positions, the fastening means on a plurality of the support units arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space are capable of forming the first detector fastening ring together.

15. The support device of claim 9, characterized in that:

when the fastening means are at the extension positions, the fastening means on the same support body are capable of forming the second detector fastening ring;

or the fastening means on a plurality of the support units arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space are capable of forming the second detector fastening ring together.

16. The support device of claim 9, characterized in that:

the plurality of the support positions are configured that when the predetermined number of the support units are arranged side by side along the axial direction, support positions on different support units are staggered and arranged alternately in the same order.

17. The support device of claim 9, characterized in that:

the predetermined number is a composite number, the number of the extension positions is u, wherein u is the number of the prime factors of the composite number except 1, the u extension positions are arranged along the radial directions of the accommodation space and the distances from the u extension positions to the center of the accommodation space are respectively equal to the product of the reciprocal of each of the u prime factors and r, wherein r is the distance from the fastening means at the contraction position to the center of the accommodation space.

18. The support device of claim 17, characterized in that:

the predetermined number is 2ⁿ, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; and

the number of the extension positions is n, and the distance from the n extension positions to the center of the accommodation space are equal to r/2, r/4, . . . r/2n, respectively.

19. An emission tomography device, characterized in that it comprises:

a support device, comprising a plurality of support units, wherein the plurality of support units are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space, and the accommodation space forms an accommodation chamber for accommodating detectors and a detected object; and

a detector, fixed to the fastening means within the accommodation chamber,

wherein each of the plurality of support units comprises;

a support body, provided with an accommodation space running through the support body therein, wherein the support body comprises a plurality of support positions that are distributed along a circumferential direction of the accommodation space;

a plurality of fastening means, connected to at least a portion of the plurality of support positions, for fixing detectors of the emission tomography device, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of fastening means are movable between contraction positions and extension positions along radial directions of the accommodation space,

wherein the fastening means are used for forming a first detector fastening ring with a first diameter when at the contraction positions and forming a second detector fastening ring with a second diameter which is smaller than the first diameter when at the extension positions,

wherein the plurality of support positions are configured that when a predetermined number of the support units are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the accommodation space, support positions on different support units are staggered and arranged alternately along the circumferential direction, in order for the fastening means on the predetermined number of the support units to form the first detector fastening ring alternately.