General purpose, wide energy range calibration source for medical emission tomography
AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorsAlexander Hans Vija, Miesher Rodrigues
Life of this patent
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Abstract
For calibration in medical emission tomography, the dosimeter and/or detector is calibrated in the field, such as at the clinic or other patient scanning location. To allow for a fewer number of calibration sources used in calibrating and/or assist in calibration for multispectral emission tomography, a calibration source includes multiple isotopes and/or a proxy source or isotope is used instead of the same isotope used in factory calibration.
Claims20
A method for calibration of medical emission tomography, the method comprising:
- providing an emission tomography detector having been factory calibrated with a first calibrated source of a first radioisotope;
- and
- field calibrating the emission tomography detector with a second calibrated source comprising at least a second radioisotope, the second radioisotope different than the first radioisotope, wherein the second radioisotope is not used for the factory calibration.
A method for using a proxy source to field calibrate an emission tomography detector, the method comprising:
- providing the emission tomography detector, the emission tomography detector having been calibrated at a factory using a first calibrated source;
- and
- calibrating the emission tomography detector in the field using a second calibrated source, wherein the second calibrated source comprises an epoxy pellet and a housing enclosing the epoxy pellet, wherein the epoxy pellet comprises a mix of cured epoxy and an active element with at least two different radioisotopes, wherein at least one radioisotope of the at least two different radioisotopes is used for the factory calibration and wherein at least one radioisotope of the at least two different radioisotopes is the proxy source that is not used for factory calibration.
A method for field calibration, the method comprising:
- providing an emission tomography detector calibrated for multiple energy ranges at a factory using a first calibrated source;
- and
- field calibrating the emission tomography detector for the multiple energy ranges with a second calibrated source, wherein the second calibrated source uses a different radioisotope than used for the factory determined calibration for each energy range of the multiple energy ranges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.