Devices, methods, and systems involving cast collimators

• US 7,462,852 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX
• Original Assignee: Tecomet, Inc.
• Inventors: Fraser, Iain, Atkinson, James E., Appleby, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore; David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/282,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20030128812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,233 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 250/505.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/3842 Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/42 characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/021 by casting in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/34 for undercut articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 69/001 a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/02 using diaphragms, collimators

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention comprise a cast collimator descended from a stack lamination mold, said mold comprising a plurality of metallic foils. Certain embodiments of the present invention comprise a method comprising filling a mold having a stacked plurality of micro-machined metallic foil layers with a first casting material to form a first cast product; demolding the first cast product from the mold; filling the first cast product with a second casting material to form a cast collimator; and demolding the cast collimator from the first cast product. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a component defining a plurality of spaces, each space from said plurality of spaces at least partially bounded by a cast wall comprising a plurality of wall spaces,

a wall surface from said plurality of wall spaces comprising a plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features that substantially spatially invertedly replicate a parent mold surface defined by a plurality of layers of a metallic foil stack lamination patent mold,

said plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features comprising at least one protruding undercut,

said plurality of wall surfaces for each cast wall defining a cast monolithic material including a cured binder and having a cavity defined by at least one cast wall with an aspect ratio of greater than 25;

1 the cavity having a configuration that is inverse to a configuration of a micro-machined metallic foil stack lamination mold, said cast wall having a wall thickness of less than 500 microns.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a collimator.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a nuclear medicine collimator.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wall spaces are co-aligned with a detector array.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each cast wall is oriented towards a radiation point source.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a radiation attenuation device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said radiation attenuation device is non-laminated.

8. The device of claim 6, said wall having a wall thickness of less than 15 microns.

9. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device further comprising a feature having height of between approximately 4 centimeters and approximately 30 centimeters that is inverse to a feature of the mold.

10. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a grid ratio of less than 4.

11. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a grid ratio of greater than 8.

12. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a cell having a non-planar wall.

13. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device comprising lead combined with a plurality of dense particles.

14. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device comprising a lead alloy combined with a plurality of dense particles.

15. The device of claim 6, said cast monolithic material comprising a polymer combined with a plurality of dense particles.

16. The device of claim 6, said material having a density between approximately 7 grams/cc and approximately 14 grams/cc.

17. The device of claim 6, said material having a density of approximately 7.0 grams/cc to approximately 12.5 grams/cc.

18. The device of claim 6, said wall having an aspect ratio of approximately 70:

1 to approximately 300;

1.

19. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device comprising a plurality of walls, at least one wall from said plurality of walls having an aspect ratio of approximately 70:

1 to approximately 300;

1.

20. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device comprising a plurality of cells, each of said cells from said plurality of cells having a width of 1 millimeter or less.

21. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 500 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 4:

1.

22. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 500 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 10:

1.

23. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 500 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 20:

1.

24. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 500 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 40:

1.

25. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device, defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 400 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 4:

1.

26. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 400 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 8:

1.

27. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 400 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 16:

1.

28. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 400 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 32:

1.

29. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 400 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 40:

1.

30. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 200 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 8:

1.

31. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 200 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 16:

1.

32. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 200 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 32:

1.

33. The device of claim 6, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 200 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 40:

1.

34. The device of claim 6 wherein the radiation attenuation device comprises a collimator.

35. The device of claim 6 wherein the cast monolithic material further comprises particles having a size ranging from 1 to 150 microns.

36. The device of claim 6 wherein the binder is a polymer binder.

37. The device of claim 6 wherein the binder is epoxy.

38. The device of claim 6 wherein the wall configured to attenuate radiation.

39. The device of claim 6 wherein the cast monolithic material is a binder loaded with metallic powder.

40. The device of claim 6 wherein the radiation attenuation device comprises an antiscatter grid configured for medical computed tomography.

41. The device of claim 6 wherein the radiation attenuation device comprises an antiscatter grid configured for non-medical computed tomography.

42. The device of claim 6 wherein the radiation attenuation device comprises an antiscatter grid configured for a mammography x-ray system.

43. The device of claim 6 wherein the radiation attenuation device comprises a collimator configured for a nuclear medicine camera.

44. The device of claim 34, said radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of cells each having a width less than 200 microns and a height, a ratio of said height to said width greater than 4:

1.

45. A device, comprising:

a radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of spaces, each space from said plurality of spaces at least partially bounded by a cast wall comprising a plurality of wall spaces,

a wall surface from said plurality of wall spaces comprising a plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features that substantially spatially invertedly replicate a parent mold surface defined by a plurality of layers of a metallic foil stack lamination patent mold,

said plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features comprising at least one protruding undercut,

said plurality of wall surfaces for each cast wall defining a cast monolithic material including a cured binder and having a cavity defined by at least one cast wall with an aspect ratio of greater than 25;

1 the cavity having a configuration that is inverse to a configuration of a micro-machined metallic foil stack lamination mold, said cast wall having a wall thickness of less than 500 microns.

46. The device of claim 45, wherein the plurality of wall spaces are co-aligned with a detector array.

47. The device of claim 45, wherein each cast wall is oriented towards a radiation point source.

48. A device, comprising:

a radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of spaces, each space from said plurality of spaces at least partially bounded by a cast wall comprising a plurality of wall spaces,

a wall surface from said plurality of wall spaces comprising a plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features that substantially spatially invertedly replicate a parent mold surface defined by a plurality of layers of a metallic foil stack lamination patent mold,

said plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features comprising at least one protruding undercut,

said plurality of wall surfaces for each cast wall defining a cast monolithic material including a cured binder and having a cavity defined by at least one cast wall with an aspect ratio of greater than 25;

1 the cavity having a configuration that is inverse to a configuration of a stack lamination parent mold, said radiation attenuation device defining at least one cell having a width of between approximately 50 and approximately 150 microns.

49. The device of claim 48, wherein the plurality of wall spaces are co-aligned with a detector array.

50. The device of claim 48, wherein each cast wall is oriented towards a radiation point source.

51. A device, comprising:

a radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of spaces, each space from said plurality of spaces at least partially bounded by a cast wall comprising a plurality of wall spaces,

a wall surface from said plurality of wall spaces comprising a plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features that substantially spatially invertedly replicate a parent mold surface defined by a plurality of layers of a metallic foil stack lamination patent mold,

said plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features comprising at least one protruding undercut,

said plurality of wall surfaces for each cast wall defining a cast monolithic material including a cured binder and having a cavity defined by at least one cast wall with an aspect ratio of greater than 25;

1 the cavity having a configuration that is inverse to a configuration of a stack lamination parent mold, said radiation attenuation device comprising a lead alloy combined with a plurality of dense particles selected from gold, tantalum, and tungsten.

52. The device of claim 51, wherein the plurality of wall spaces are co-aligned with a detector array.

53. The device of claim 51, wherein each cast wall is oriented towards a radiation point source.

54. A device, comprising:

a radiation attenuation device defining a plurality of spaces, each space from said plurality of spaces at least partially bounded by a cast wall comprising a plurality of wall spaces,

a wall surface from said plurality of wall spaces comprising a plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features that substantially spatially invertedly replicate a parent mold surface defined by a plurality of layers of a metallic foil stack lamination patent mold,

said plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features comprising at least one protruding undercut,

said plurality of wall surfaces for each cast wall defining a cast monolithic material including a cured binder and having a cavity defined by at least one cast wall with an aspect ratio of greater than 25;

1 the cavity having a configuration that is inverse to a configuration of a stack lamination parent mold, said material having a density of approximately 12.5 grams/cc to approximately 14 grams/cc.

55. The device of claim 54, wherein the plurality of wall spaces are co-aligned with a detector array.

56. The device of claim 54, wherein each cast wall is oriented towards a radiation point source.