Apparatus and system for detecting and locating photon emissions with remote switch control

A system for detecting and locating a source of photon emissions emanating from tissue within a body, comprising:

• a hand manipular probe including:
• a housing with a hand graspable surface extending along an axis between forward and rearward ends having a switch receiving channel formed therein, said switch receiving channel extending along said axis, having a switch contact surface and an oppositely disposed load surface, a first switch actuating surface formed as an indentation into said housing hand grippable surface opposite said switch contact surface and spaced therefrom to define a predetermined switch wall thickness effective to inwardly transmit hand generated stress, and a detector signal channel extending along said axis;
• a detector assembly coupled in sealed relationship to said housing at said forward end and including a crystal detector responsive to said emissions impinging thereon to provide corresponding detector outputs, an amplifier stage within said detector signal channel adjacent said detector, responsive to said detector outputs in the presence of an applied power supply to derive count outputs at an output line extending along said detector signal channel,
• a piezoelectric switch actuable in response to hand generated stress to derive a switch voltage signal, having a pressure responsive surface and an oppositely disposed support surface, positioned within said switch receiving channel, said pressure responsive surface being located in abutting adjacency with said switch contact surface beneath said fast switch abutting surface,
• a current deriving circuit positioned within said switch receiving channel, having an output coupled with said applied power supply and responsive to said switch voltage signal to impose a current signal of predetermined amplitude at said applied power supply,
• a switch support assembly having fast and second wedges exhibiting predetermined slopes and having respective mutually contacting abutting surfaces and first and second substantially parallel outer surfaces spaced apart a loading distance derived by relative positioning between said first and second abutting surfaces, said switch support assembly being positioned within said switch receiving channel intermediate said load surface and said piezoelectric switch support surface, said loading distance being selected to preload said piezoelectric switch against said switch contact surface;
• a control assembly located remotely from said probe, having at least one function selection switch actuable to derive a function input, a power supply network for deriving said applied power supply, an input network for receiving and evaluating said count outputs to derive count associated signals, an output component responsive to an applied output signal to generate a perceptible output, a processor responsive to said function input and said count associated outputs to derive a said output signal corresponding therewith, a monitoring amplifier stage responsive to current levels of said applied power supply for providing a monitor output corresponding therewith, and a level comparator circuit responsive to a said monitor output corresponding with the presence of said current signal to derive an emulating signal corresponding with said function input and effecting said processor derivation of said perceptible output;
• and
• an elongate flexible connector assembly coupled between said probe and said control assembly for coupling said output line with said input network and for conveying said applied power supply from said power supply network to said amplifier stage of said probe.