Endorectal Prostate Probe Composed Of A Combined Mini Gamma Camera And Ultrasound Sensor

A mobile dual modality imaging system comprising:

• a bed for accommodating a patient;
• an open rotating gantry mounted around said bed and mobile with respect to said bed;
• a gamma imaging detector secured to said rotating gantry above said bed and optionally at least one separate gamma imaging detector secured to said rotating gantry below said bed, wherein each of said gamma imaging detectors are capable of angular rotation with respect to said bed to provide full angular projective sampling of a target organ of a patient lying on said bed;
• a probe comprising a housing having an external shell and an interior space, said housing having a first end, a middle section, and a second end, wherein said middle section is disposed between said first and said second ends, and wherein said second end is opposite said first end, an ultrasound sensor located within the first end of said interior of said housing, and a gamma probe sensor located within said first end of said interior of said housing and wherein said gamma probe sensor is located in juxtaposition to said ultrasound sensor within said interior of said housing;
• and
• an electronic sensor positioning system located either on said exterior of said housing of said probe or within said interior of said housing for keeping track of the position of said probe and fusion of an image obtained from said ultrasound sensor and an image obtained from said gamma probe sensor, said electronic sensor positioning system is in communication with an outside computer processor for collecting data simultaneously from said gamma probe sensor, said gamma imaging detector, and said ultrasound sensor of said probe.

A method for evaluating a target organ of a patient comprising:

• injecting a patient with an imaging agent;
• providing a mobile dual modality imaging system comprising:
• a bed for accommodating a patient, an open rotating gantry mounted around said bed and mobile with respect to said bed, at least one gamma imaging detector secured to said rotating gantry above said bed and, optionally at least one separate gamma imaging detector secured to said rotating gantry below said bed, wherein each of said gamma imaging detectors are capable of angular rotation with respect to said bed to provide full angular projective sampling of a target organ of a patient lying on said bed, a probe comprising a housing having an external shell and an interior space, said housing having a first end, a middle section, and a second end, wherein said middle section is disposed between said first and said second ends, and wherein said second end is opposite said first end, an ultrasound sensor located within the first end of said interior of said housing, and a gamma probe sensor located within said first end of said interior of said housing and wherein said gamma probe sensor is located in juxtaposition to said ultrasound sensor within said interior of said housing, an electronic sensor positioning system located either on said exterior of said housing of said probe or within said interior of said housing for keeping track of the position of said probe and fusion of an image obtained from said ultrasound sensor and an image obtained from said gamma probe sensor, said electronic sensor positioning system is in communication with an outside computer processor for collecting data simultaneously from said gamma probe sensor, said gamma imaging detector, and said ultrasound sensor of said probe;
• positioning said patient on said bed of said dual modality imaging system;
• and
• operating said dual modality imaging system such that said dual modality imaging system is positioned to scan a target organ of said patient.