# US 11,304,667 B2 · Spatial resolution in molecular and radiological imaging

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- Number: US 11,304,667 B2
- Document ID: US11304667B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/662,171
- Filed: 2019-10-24
- Published: 2020-02-20
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-11
- Applicants: David Byron Douglas; Robert E. Douglas
- Inventors: David Byron Douglas; Robert E. Douglas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304667B2

## CPC

- A61B 6/037: {Emission tomography}
- A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]}
- A61B 6/4291: {the detector being combined with a grid or grating}
- A61B 6/4417: {related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities}
- A61B 6/5282: {due to scatter}
- 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)}
- A61B 6/06: Diaphragms
- A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- 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)

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for improvement of spatial resolution in molecular and radiological imaging is presented. System equipment includes bed with either flat or cylindrical detectors large detector arrays with collimator(s), lens(s), mirror(s) and/or shutter(s). This system utilizes magnification principles with large detector arrays. There is error reduction by reduction of non-collinearity error as seen in current PET scans by determination of the trajectory of the photons and accurate localization of the annihilation event of a positron. Additional error reduction of random coincidence and scatter coincidence is seen. Overall, this method and apparatus affords improved spatial resolution and higher efficiencies, which would allow for lower cost and dose reduction to the patient.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for generating a high-resolution image of a structure comprising:
a mirror system which causes photons to diverge;
a detector array having a plurality of detectors, said detector array in communication with said mirror system, said detector array configured to detect said diverging photons; and
a processor configured to process intercepts of said diverging photons on the detector array to generate said high-resolution image of said structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising wherein said mirror system diverges said photons by reflection.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one of the group of a second mirror system wherein said second mirror system is movable, a movable lens system, and a movable shutter system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a collimator which attenuates photons.

### Claim 5

An apparatus for generating a high-resolution image of a structure comprising:
a system through which photons pass and are spread over a large detector area;
a detector in communication with said system, said detector array configured to accommodate and receive the photons over a large detector; and
a processor providing a high-resolution image.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising at least one of the group of a movable mirror system, a movable lens system, and a movable shutter system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a collimator which attenuates photons.

### Claim 8

A method of generating a high-resolution image of an anatomic structure comprising:
passing photons through a portion of the human body wherein some of said photons exit said portion of the human body;
passing said photons that exit said portion of the human body through a device that diverges said photons in a trajectory towards a photon detector; and
generating a high resolution image of the portion of the human body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising using at least one of the group of a movable mirror system, a movable lens system, and a movable shutter system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 further comprising using a collimator to attenuate photons.

### Claim 11

A method of generating a high-resolution image of an anatomic structure comprising:
generating a first group of photons at a first location with a first trajectory;
placing a portion of the anatomic structure in the path of said first group photons at a second location;
placing a diverging device at a third location wherein said diverging device causes said first group of photons that pass through said portion of the human body take on a second trajectory;
detecting said first group of photons on a photon detector at a fourth location; and
generating a high resolution image of the portion of the human body.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising using a diverging device to diverge said photons by at least one of the group of reflection and refraction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 further comprising using at least one of the group of a movable mirror system, a movable lens system, and a movable shutter system.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising using a collimator to attenuate photons.

### Claim 15

A method of generating a high resolution image of an anatomic structure of human body comprising:
generating photons with a first trajectory;
placing a portion of the anatomic structure of the human body in a path of the said photons; and
placing a device in said path of said photons wherein said device performs the steps comprising:
altering the first trajectory of said photons; and
spreading said photons over a large region of the detector.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising wherein said device diverges said photons by at least one of the group of reflection and refraction.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising using at least one of the group of a movable mirror system, a movable lens system, and a movable shutter system.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 further comprising using a collimator to attenuate photons.

### Claim 19

A method of providing high resolution imaging of an anatomic structure of a human body comprising:
generating photons with a first divergence;
placing the anatomic structure of the human body in a path of said photons; and
placing a device in said path of said photons wherein said device causes said photons to have a second divergence wherein said second divergence is different from said first divergence;
detecting said photons on a photon detector; and
generating a high resolution image of the portion of the human body.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 further comprising wherein said device diverges said photons by at least one of the group of reflection and refraction.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 further comprising using at least one of the group of a movable mirror system, a movable lens system, and a movable shutter system.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 further comprising using a collimator to attenuate photons.

### Claim 23

An apparatus for providing high resolution imaging of a human body comprising:
an X-ray tube;
a device that causes X-ray photons that pass through the body to diverge; and
a large detector.

### Claim 24

An apparatus for providing high resolution imaging of a structure comprising:
a rotatable X-ray tube;
a device that causes X-ray photons that pass through the structure to diverge;
a large detector; and
a processor that performs computed tomography.

### Claim 25

A method comprising:
placing a patient in a scanner with a detector and a lens system wherein said lens system is spatially separated from said detector;
plotting said detectors, said lens system and said patient in a single coordinate system;
plotting known points on detectors based on coincidence detection on said single coordinate system;
using laws of refraction and systems of equations to solve fora trajectory of photon paths;
and
generating a resulting PET data set.

### Claim 26 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a system which diverges said photos by at least one of the group of reflection and refraction.

### Claim 27 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising using a system to diverge said photons by at least one of the group of reflection and refraction.