Method of manufacturing radiation tomography apparatus

• US 8,869,388 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: Tonami, Hiromichi, Furuta, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): ANGWIN, DAVID PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US13/003,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,289 Days
• Field of Search: 298/32, 295/95, 250/367
• US Class Current: 29/832
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1644 using an array of optically separate scintillation elements permitting direct location of scintillations G01T1/1645 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A method of manufacturing radiation tomography apparatus in this invention includes a step of fixing a detector array to a holding member by adjusting relative positions of the detector array and the holding member the base by spacing a scintillator apart from a base through contact of the scintillator of the detector array to a supporting device. Such configuration may realize provision of radiation tomography apparatus with higher spatial resolution by manufacturing a group of detectors having the scintillators of suppressed deviation in arrangement and being arranged regularly upon arranging radiation detectors for forming the group of detectors.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing radiation tomography apparatus having a group of detectors in an annular shape, the group of detectors having detector arrays in a ring shape with each of radiation detectors arranged in series in which a scintillator that converts radiation into fluorescence, a light guide that receives fluorescence, and a light detector that detects fluorescence are laminated in a height direction, comprising:

a detector array formation step of forming a detector array having two or more radiation detectors integrated with one another;

a first holding member fixation step of fixing a sub member of a holding member, the holding member having a main member and the sub member, the sub member extending from the main member to a base of a first jig, the first jig also having a branch portion and a supporting device, the branch portion of the first jig extending from the base of the first jig;

a detector array placement step of placing the detector array on the first jig by inserting the detecting array into a position between the branch portion and the main member;

a second holding member fixation step of fixing the detector array to the holding member by adjusting relative positions of the detector array and the holding member with respect to the base by spacing the scintillator apart from the base through contact of the scintillator of the detector array to the supporting device; and

a group of detectors formation step of forming the group of detectors by fixing the sub member to a base member to arrange the detector arrays at least in a circular shape.

2. The method of manufacturing the radiation tomography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base of the first jig and the sub member have a first positioning device provided therein;

a relative position is determined of the holding member with respect to the first jig in a given direction via the first positioning device in the first holding member fixation step; and

the branch portion of the first jig and the scintillator has a second positioning device, and a relative position is determined of the detector array with respect to the first jig in a given direction via the second positioning device in the second holding member fixation step, whereby a relative positional relationship between the holding member and the detector array in a given direction is determined via the first jig.

3. The method of manufacturing the radiation tomography apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second jig placement step of placing the holding member on a bottom by contacting the scintillator of the detector array to a stem of a second jig having the bottom and the stem extending therefrom, thereby adjusting a relative position of the second jig and the detector array in a direction where the scintillator and the stem contact to each other; and

a plate fixation step of fixing a plate to the sub member while adjusting the relative position in a given direction of the detector array with respect to the stem with a third positioning device provided in the stein of the second jig and the scintillator, wherein in the group of detectors formation step, the detector arrays with respect to the base member are adjusted in position based on a position of the plate, and are arranged at least circularly.

4. The method of manufacturing the radiation tomography apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a fourth positioning device is provided in the bottom of the second jig and the plate, and

a relative position of the plate with respect to the sub member in the plate fixation step is determined via the fourth positioning device.

5. The method of manufacturing the radiation tomography apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a fifth positioning device is provided in the base member and the plate, and a relative position of the detector array with respect to the base member in the group of detectors formation step is determined via the fifth positioning device.

6. The method of manufacturing the radiation tomography apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a sixth positioning device is provided in the base of the first jig and the sub member,

a seventh positioning device is provided in the base member and the sub member,

the relative position of the detector array with respect to the holding member in the second holding member fixation step is determined through contact of the scintillator of the detector array to the branch portion and the supporting device and via the sixth positioning device, and

the relative position of the detector array with respect to the base member in the group of detectors formation step is determined via the seventh positioning device.

7. The method of manufacturing the radiation tomography apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second jig placement step of placing the holding member on a bottom by contacting the scintillator of the detector array to a stem of a second jig having the bottom and the stem extending therefrom, thereby adjusting a relative position of the second jig and the detector array in a direction where the scintillator and the stem contact to each other; and

a plate fixation step of fixing a plate to the sub member while adjusting the relative position in a given direction of the detector array with respect to the stem with a third positioning device provided in the stem of the second jig and the scintillator, wherein in the group of detectors formation step, the detector arrays with respect to the base member are adjusted in position based on a position of the plate, and are arranged at least circularly.

8. The method of manufacturing the radiation tomography apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a fifth positioning device is provided in the base member and the plate, and a relative position of the detector array with respect to the base member in the group of detectors formation step is determined via the fifth positioning device.