Photon detection apparatus and method for imaging
OwnerElazar A. Bienenstockinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photon detector for use in imaging, comprising a detector surface for detecting photons incident on the detector surface, the detector surface comprising at least one non-flat feature configured such that, during imaging, at least a portion of the photons are blocked from incidence upon at least a portion of the detector surface.
Claims30
A SPECT camera for creating a SPECT image of a body tissue, comprising:
- a selectively positionable photon detector, including a detector surface, for (1) detecting photons from the body tissue incident on the detector surface, (2) emitting a photon incidence signal for each said incident photon, the photon incidence signal including incidence location information for the corresponding photon, and (3) emitting a photon energy signal for each said incident photon, the photon energy signal including energy level information for the corresponding photon;
- a computerized image processor, operatively connected to the photon detector, for (1) receiving the photon incidence signals and photon energy signals transmitted by the detector, (2) processing the photon energy signals to exclude from the SPECT image photons having energy levels outside a predetermined energy level range, and (3) processing the photon incidence signals to produce a SPECT image dataset, using the incidence location information for each incident photon;
- the detector surface comprising at least one non-flat feature configured such that, during imaging of the body tissue, at least a portion of the photons emitted from the body tissue are blocked from incidence upon at least a portion of the detector surface, the at least one non-flat feature comprising a plurality of protuberances and indentations;
- the photon detector being configured and positioned to admit to the detector surface uncollimated photons from the body tissue;
- the computerized image processor being programmed with a probabilistic imaging algorithm to create the SPECT image, wherein when each incident photon from the body tissue is detected at a respective detection point on the detector surface, each of a plurality of possible incoming trajectories has a corresponding non-zero probability, and these probabilities are used in creating the SPECT image.
A photon detector for use in SPECT imaging, the photon detector comprising a detector surface for detecting photons incident on the detector surface, the detector surface comprising at least one non-flat feature configured such that, during imaging of the body tissue, at least a portion of the photons emitted from the body tissue are blocked from incidence upon at least a portion of the detector surface, the at least one non-flat feature comprising a plurality of protuberances and indentations;
- wherein the detector surface comprises an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface comprising the indentations and protuberances, the outer surface further comprising pinholes, the pinholes and inner surface being configured and positioned such that photons passing through said pinholes are detected on said inner surface.
A camera for creating an image, comprising:
- a photon detector, including a detector surface, for (1) detecting photons incident on the detector surface, and (2) emitting a photon incidence signal for each said incident photon, the photon incidence signal including incidence location information for the corresponding photon, the photon detector being preconfigured to detect photons in a predetermined energy range, but not outside the predetermined energy range;
- a computerized image processor, operatively connected to the photon detector, for (1) receiving the photon incidence transmitted by the detector, and (2) processing the photon incidence signals to produce an image dataset, using the incidence location information for each incident photon;
- the detector surface comprising at least one non-flat feature configured such that, during imaging, at least a portion of the photons are blocked from incidence upon at least a portion of the detector surface, the at least one non-flat feature comprising a plurality of protuberances and indentations;
- the photon detector being configured and positioned to admit to the detector surface uncollimated photons;
- the computerized image processor being programmed with probabilistic imaging algorithm to create the image, wherein when each incident photon is detected at a respective detection point on the detector surface, each of a plurality of possible incoming trajectories has a corresponding non-zero probability, and these probabilities are used in creating the image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.