# US 10,768,315 B2 · Positron emission tomography detecting device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,315 B2 - Document ID: US10768315B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/826,756 - Filed: 2017-11-30 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-28 - Assignees: Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ting Lu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768315B2 ## CPC - G01T 1/20184: {Detector read-out circuitry, e.g. for clearing of traps, compensating for traps or compensating for direct hits} - A61B 6/037: {Emission tomography} - A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data} - G01T 1/2985: {In depth localisation, e.g. using positron emitters; Tomographic imaging (longitudinal and transverse section imaging; apparatus for radiation diagnosis sequentially in different planes, steroscopic radiation diagnosis); (using external radiation sources A61B6/02)} - G01T 1/1612: {with scintillation detectors (G01T1/20 takes precedence)} - G01T 1/208: Circuits specially adapted for scintillation detectors, e.g. for the photo-multiplier section - G01T 1/247: {Detector read-out circuitry (for processing gain or off-set correction H04N)} - G01T 1/248: {Silicon photomultipliers [SiPM], e.g. an avalanche photodiode [APD] array on a common Si substrate} - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A PET detecting device may include a plurality of detection modules and a processing engine. Each of the plurality of detection modules may include a scintillator array, one or more photoelectric converters, one or more energy information determination circuits and a time information determination circuit. The scintillator array may interact with a plurality of photons at respective interaction points to generate a plurality of optical signals. The one or more photoelectric converters may convert the plurality of optical signals to one or more electric signals that each include an energy signal and a time signal. The one or more energy information determination circuits may generate energy information based on the one or more energy signals. The time information determination circuit may generate time information based on the one or more time signals. The processing engine may generate an image based on the energy information and the time information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a plurality of detection modules, wherein each of the plurality of detection modules includes: a scintillator array, the scintillator array interacting with a plurality of photons at respective interaction points to generate a plurality of optical signals; one or more photoelectric converters coupled to the scintillator array and configured to convert the plurality of optical signals to one or more electric signals, the one or more electric signals each including an energy signal and a time signal, wherein the one or more photoelectric converters are arranged in M rows and N columns; M first energy information determination circuits, wherein each of the M first energy information determination circuits is connected to one of the M rows of photoelectric converters and configured to generate first energy information by summing up first energy signals that are generated by the one of the M rows of photoelectric converters; N second energy information determination circuits, wherein each of the N second energy information determination circuits is connected to one of the N columns of photoelectric converters and configured to generate second energy information by summing up second energy signals that are generated by the one of the N columns of photoelectric converters; a time information determination circuit connected to the one or more photoelectric converters and configured to generate time information of the interaction between the scintillator array and the plurality of photons based on the one or more time signals; and a processing engine, configured to generate an image based on the first energy information, the second energy information and the time information, wherein the time information determination circuit includes a differential unit connected to the one or more photoelectric converters, the differential unit being configured to: sum up the one or more time signals to generate a summation signal, wherein the summation signal is a cyclic signal and includes, in each cycle, a low level section, a high level section, and a transitional section that the summation signal changes from the low level section to the high level section; and reduce a duration of the transitional section of the summation signal to generate an accelerated time signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator array includes a plurality of scintillation crystals; and each of the one or more photoelectric converters is coupled to one or more of the plurality of scintillation crystals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the M and the N each is an integer from 1 to 20. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein each of the M first energy information determination circuits and the N second energy information determination circuits includes a differential adder and an analog to digital converter (ADC). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a decoder connected to the M first energy information determination circuits and the N second energy information determination circuits, the decoder being configured to determine locations of the interaction points based on the first energy information and the second energy information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the time information determination circuit further includes: a comparator configured to generate a trigger signal based on the accelerated time signal; and a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to generate the time information based on the trigger signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the time information includes a time point when the scintillator array interacts with the plurality of photons. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the scintillator array is made of bismuth germanium oxide (BGO) crystals, lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals, or lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the photoelectric converter is a photomultiplier (PTM), an avalanche photodiode (APD), or a silicon photomultiplier (SIPM). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of detection modules further includes: a switch circuit, configured to control the M first energy information determination circuits, the N second energy information determination circuits and the time information determination circuit to work simultaneously or alternately. ### Claim 11 A system, comprising: a gantry including a detecting area in which an object is scanned; a detector configured to receive a plurality of photons that are emitted from the object, the detector comprising: a plurality of detection modules, wherein each of the plurality of detection modules includes: a scintillator array, the scintillator array interacting with a plurality of photons at respective interaction points to generate a plurality of optical signals; one or more photoelectric converters coupled to the scintillator array and configured to convert the plurality of optical signals to one or more electric signals, the one or more electric signals each including an energy signal and a time signal, wherein the one or more photoelectric converters are arranged in M rows and N columns; M first energy information determination circuits, wherein each of the M first energy information determination circuits is connected to one of the M rows of photoelectric converters and configured to generate first energy information by summing up first energy signals that are generated by the one of the M rows of photoelectric converters: N second energy information determination circuits, wherein each of the N second energy information determination circuits is connected to one of the N columns of photoelectric converters and configured to generate second energy information by summing up second energy signals that are generated by the one of the N columns of photoelectric converters; and a time information determination circuit connected to the one or more photoelectric converters and configured to generate time information of the interaction between the scintillator array and the plurality of photons based on the one or more time signals; and a processing engine, configured to generate an image based on the first energy information, the second energy information and the time information, wherein the time information determination circuit includes a differential unit connected to the one or more photoelectric converters, the differential unit being configured to: sum up the one or more time signals to generate a summation signal, wherein the summation signal is a cyclic signal and includes, in each cycle, a low level section, a high level section, and a transitional section that the summation signal changes from the low level section to the high level section; and reduce a duration of the transitional section of the summation signal to generate an accelerated time signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the scintillator array includes a plurality of scintillation crystals; and each of the one or more photoelectric converters is coupled to one or more of the plurality of scintillation crystals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein each of the M first energy information determination circuits and the N second energy information determination circuits includes a differential adder and an analog to digital converter (ADC). ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of the detection modules further includes: a decoder connected to the M first energy information determination circuits and the N second energy information determination circuits, the decoder being configured to determine locations of the interaction points based on the first energy information and the second energy information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the each of the plurality of detection modules further includes: a switch circuit, configured to control the M first energy information determination circuits, the N second energy information determination circuits and the time information determination circuit to work simultaneously or alternately. ### Claim 16 A method, comprising: interacting, by a scintillator array, with a plurality of photons at respective interaction points to generate a plurality of optical signals; converting, by one or more photoelectric converters coupled to the scintillator array, the plurality of optical signals to one or more electric signals, the one or more electric signals each including an energy signal and a time signal, wherein the one or more photoelectric converters are arranged in M rows and N columns; generating, by each of M first energy information determination circuits connected to one of the M rows of photoelectric converters, first energy information by summing up first energy signals that are generated by the one of the M rows of photoelectric converters; generating, by each of N second energy information determination circuits connected to one of the N columns of photoelectric converters, second energy information by summing up second energy signals that are generated by the one of the N columns of photoelectric converters; generating, by a time information determination circuit connected to the one or more photoelectric converters, time information of the interaction between the scintillator array and the plurality of photons based on the one or more time signals; and generating, by a processing engine, an image based on the first energy information, the second energy information and the time information, wherein the generating time information of the interaction between the scintillator array and the plurality of photons based on the one or more time signals includes: summing up, by a differential unit of the time information determination unit, the one or more time signals to generate a summation signal, wherein the summation signal is a cyclic signal and includes, in each cycle, a low level section, a high level section, and a transitional section that the summation signal changes from the low level section to the high level section; reducing, by the differential unit, a duration of the transitional section of the summation signal to generate an accelerated time signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining, by a decoder connected to the M first energy information determination circuits and the N second energy information determination circuits, locations of the interaction points based on the first energy information and the second energy information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: generating, by a comparator, a trigger signal based on the accelerated time signal; and generate, by a time-to-digital converter (TDC), the time information based on the trigger signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the time information includes a time point when the scintillator array interacts with the plurality of photons.