Whole body scan coincidence imaging
AssigneePicker International, Inc.
InventorsFrank P. DiFilippo, Mark H. Heller, Robert L. Zahn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An imaging apparatus includes a pair radiation sensitive detector heads disposed on opposite sides of the patient. The detectors and patient are moved relative to each other in an axial direction while the relative angular orientation of the detectors and the patient is held constant. Positron annihilation events occurring within the anatomy of a patient are detected and used to reconstruct an image. According to one reconstruction technique, a focal plane method is used. The intersections of the lines of coincidence and a plurality of image planes is determined, and a series of images indicative of the intersections is generated.
Claims15
A method of imaging utilizing a plurality of detectors disposed about an imaging region so as to detect coincident gamma ray pairs generated by positron annihilation events occurring within an object in the imaging region, each detector having a radiation sensitive face, each detector capable of detecting radiation received at a plurality of axial and transverse coordinates on the face thereof, the method comprising the steps of:
- translating the detectors and the object relative to each other in the axial direction;
- detecting coincident gamma ray pairs generated by positron annihilation events occurring within the object;
- determining an axial and a transverse coordinate at which each gamma ray in a plurality of the detected coincident gamma rays pairs was detected;
- for each of the plurality of the detected gamma ray pairs, determining the relative axial position of the detectors and the object;
- and
- utilizing the determined coordinates and the determined relative axial positions to generate an image indicative of the positron annihilation events;
- wherein, during the steps of detecting and translating, the detectors and the object are maintained at a constant relative angular orientation.
A method of imaging comprising the steps of:
- while maintaining a plurality of detectors, each detector including a plurality of light sensitive elements arranged in a planar array extending in axial and transverse directions, and a patient at a constant relative angular orientation, translating the detectors and the object relative to each other in the axial direction;
- detecting positron annihilation events occurring within the anatomy of a patient, each positron annihilation event generating a pair of gamma rays traveling in opposite directions along a line of coincidence;
- defining an image plane;
- for each of a plurality of the detected events, determining an intersection of the line of coincidence and the image plane;
- and
- generating an image indicative of the intersections of the lines of coincidence and the image plane.
An imaging apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting a plurality of positron annihilation events occurring within the anatomy of a patient, each positron annihilation event generating a pair of gamma rays traveling in opposite directions along a line of coincidence;
- means for translating the means for detecting and the patient with respect to each other in an axial direction;
- means for determining the relative axial position of the detectors and the patient;
- means in operative communication with the means for detecting and the means for determining the relative axial position for determining the intersection of each of the lines of coincidence and an image plane;
- and
- means for generating an image indicative of the intersection of each of the lines of coincidence and the image plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.