Gamma camera

• US 6,114,702 A
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe Gmbh
• Original Assignee: Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe Gmbh
• Inventors: Doerfel, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAGLIARDI, ALBERT J
• Application Number:
  US09/106,159
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 250/363.01, 250/363.02, 250/363.1, 250/366, 250/370.11, 250/369, 250/361 R
• US Class Current: 250/366
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1642 using a scintillation crystal and position sensing photodetector arrays, e.g. ANGER cameras

Abstract

In a gamma camera comprising a hollow-body scintillator crystal which is open at one end and has optoelectronic transducers disposed at its outer surface for sensing light signals generated by gamma radiation entering the scintillator crystal, a collimator with a pin hole is disposed at the open end of the scintillator crystal and has a cone-like projection with an apex where the pin hole is disposed. A number of such hollow scintillator crystals may be arranged on sheets with cone-like projections having pin hole apexes so as to be coaxial with the pin holes.

Claims

1. A gamma camera comprising a hollow body scintillator crystal, which is open at one end, at least four optoelectronic transducers with amplifiers arranged around said scintillator crystal, and a collimator with a pin hole disposed on said scintillator crystal so as to extend across said open end thereof, said collimator including a cone-like projection having an apex and said pin hole being disposed at said apex.

2. A gamma camera according to claim 1, wherein said hollow body is a cylinder with a concentric cylindrical bore hole.

3. A gamma camera according to claim 2, wherein said cylinder has flat outer surface sections.

4. A gamma camera according to claim 1, wherein said hollow body consists of plane-parallel segments.

5. An arrangement including a number of gamma cameras arranged adjacent one another on a collimator plate having spaced conical projections with pin holes formed at the apexes of the projections and scintillator crystals having cylindrical cavities with front openings disposed on said collimator plate coaxially with said pin holes, and optoelectronic transducers disposed on the outside of said scintillator crystals for sensing light signals generated by γ

radiation entering said crystals through said pin holes.