Gantry for medical imaging system

A nuclear medicine imaging system comprising:

• a gantry including a first arm assembly and a second arm assembly, the first and second arm assemblies each having an upper end located above an object to be imaged and suspended downward from the upper end;
• and
• a first gamma ray detector coupled to a lower end of the first arm assembly;
• a second gamma ray detector coupled to a lower end of the second arm assembly, the gantry capable of positioning each of the first and second gamma ray detectors at a plurality of angular positions about a longitudinal axis to acquire image data of the object by moving the first and second gamma ray detectors along independent paths.

A nuclear medicine imaging system comprising:

• a carriage supported above an object to be imaged;
• a first arm assembly having an upper end movably coupled to the carriage, the first arm assembly suspended downward from the upper end;
• a second arm assembly having an upper end movably coupled to the carriage, the second arm assembly suspended downward from the upper end;
• and
• a first gamma ray detector coupled to a lower end of the first arm assembly;
• and
• a second gamma ray detector coupled to a lower end of the second arm assembly;
• the carriage and the first and second arm assemblies operable to position each of the first and second detectors at a plurality of angular positions about the object to acquire image data of the object, the plurality of angular positions corresponding, in aggregate, to a range of projection angles of approximately 360 degrees, wherein the first and second detectors remain downwardly suspended from the carriage through the first and second arm assemblies, respectively, while positioned at each of the angular positions.

A nuclear medicine imaging system comprising:

• a plurality of gamma ray detectors;
• and
• first support means for providing support, located in a position substantially higher than an object to be imaged;
• and
• second support means for downwardly suspending the gamma ray detectors from the first support means, the first and second support means further for cooperating to position the detectors at a plurality of angular positions about an object to acquire image data of the object, the plurality of angular positions corresponding to, for any one of the detectors, a range of projection angles of approximately 180 degrees, such that each detector remains downwardly suspended from the first support means by the second support means while positioned at each of the plurality of angular positions and while the first support means remains supported in a position substantially higher than the object to be imaged.

A medical imaging system comprising:

• a first radiation detector;
• a second radiation detector;
• and
• a gantry suspending the first radiation detector and the second radiation detector from above the first radiation detector and the second radiation detector, the gantry capable of moving the first radiation detector in translation independently along each of three substantially perpendicular axes and capable of moving the second radiation detector in translation independently along each of three substantially perpendicular axes.

A medical imaging system comprising:

• first and second gamma ray detectors;
• support means for supporting the gamma ray detectors;
• first motion means for moving each of the gamma ray detectors in translation in a first direction, wherein the first motion means comprises a carriage supported above an object to be imaged, the carriage movable in translation in the first direction;
• second motion means for moving each of the first and second gamma ray detectors in translation in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the second motion means comprises:
• a first support arm having an upper end movably coupled to the carriage such that the first support arm is movable in translation in the second direction, the first support arm suspended downward from the upper end, the first gamma ray detector coupled to a lower end of the first support arm;
• and
• a second support arm having an upper end movably coupled to the carriage such that the second support arm is movable in translation in the second direction, the second support arm suspended downward from the upper end, the second gamma ray detector coupled to a lower end of the second support arm;
• and
• third motion means for moving each of the first and second gamma ray detectors in translation in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second directions.

A medical imaging system comprising:

• a gantry including:
• a support frame;
• a carriage coupled to the support frame so that the carriage is movable in translation along a first horizontal axis;
• a first support arm coupled to the carriage so that the first support arm is movable in translation along a horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis;
• and
• a second support arm coupled to the carriage so that the second support arm is movable in translation along a second horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis;
• a first gamma ray detector coupled to the first support arm and suspended from above by the first support arm;
• and
• a second gamma ray detector coupled to the second support arm and suspended from above by the second support arm.

A method of using a medical imaging system to acquire tomographic image data of an object, the imaging system including a radiation detector, the method comprising:

• a) acquiring image data with the detector positioned in a location and orientation corresponding to an angular position about the object;
• b) repositioning the detector to a new location corresponding to a new angular position about the object, including independently moving the detector in translation both vertically and horizontally;
• c) reorienting the detector, if appropriate, according to the new angular position;
• and
• d) repeating said a) through c) to acquire the image data with the detector positioned at a plurality of angular positions about the object.

A medical imaging system for acquiring image data of an object, the imaging system comprising:

• a base;
• a first support arm coupled to the base and aligned along a first horizontal axis, the first support arm movable in translation along the first horizontal axis and along a vertical axis;
• a second support arm coupled to the base and aligned along a second horizontal axis parallel to the first horizontal axis, the second support arm movable in translation along the second horizontal axis and along the vertical axis;
• a first radiation detector movably coupled to an end of the first support arm;
• and
• a second radiation detector movably coupled to an end of the second support arm.

A medical imaging system for acquiring image data of an object, the imaging system comprising:

• a base;
• a first support arm aligned along a first horizontal axis, the first support arm movably coupled to the base such that the first support arm is movable in translation along both the first horizontal axis and a vertical axis;
• a second support arm aligned along a second horizontal axis parallel to the first horizontal axis, the second support arm movably coupled to the base such that the second support arm is movable in translation along both the second horizontal axis and the vertical axis;
• a first gamma ray detector coupled to the first support arm, the first gamma ray detector pivotable about a third horizontal axis, the third horizontal axis perpendicular to both the first and second horizontal axes;
• and
• a second gamma ray detector coupled to the second support arm, the second gamma ray detector pivotable about a fourth horizontal axis parallel to the third horizontal axis.

A nuclear medicine imaging system comprising:

• a first gamma ray detector;
• a second gamma ray detector;
• a carriage supported above an object to be imaged, wherein the carriage is movable in translation along a first horizontal axis;
• a first support arm having an upper end movably coupled to the carriage and a lower end coupled to the first gamma ray detector, the first support arm suspended downward from the upper end, the first support arm movable in translation along a second horizontal axis perpendicular to the first horizontal axis, the first support arm capable of providing translational movement of the first gamma ray detector along a substantially vertical axis;
• and
• a second support arm having an upper end movably coupled to the carriage and a lower end coupled to the second gamma ray detector, the second support arm suspended downward from the upper end of the second support arm, the second support arm movable in translation along the second horizontal axis, the second support arm capable of providing translational movement of the second gamma ray detector along a substantially vertical axis.

A medical imaging system comprising:

• a first gamma ray detector;
• a first support structure mounted to a wall, the first support structure including:
• a first frame;
• a first sliding member coupled to the first frame so as to be moveable in translation along a first horizontal axis;
• and
• a first support arm coupled to the first sliding member and to the first gamma ray detector, the first support arm moveable in translation along a first vertical axis;
• a second gamma ray detector;
• and
• a second support structure mounted to a ceiling in proximity to said wall, the second support structure including:
• a second frame;
• a second sliding member coupled to the second frame so as to be moveable in translation along a second horizontal axis;
• and
• a second support arm coupled to the second sliding member and to the second gamma ray detector, the second support arm moveable in translation along a third horizontal axis.

A method of using a medical imaging system to acquire tomographic image data of an object, the imaging system including a radiation detector, the method comprising:

• a) acquiring image data with the radiation detector positioned at an angular position about the object;
• b) repositioning the radiation detector to a new angular position about the object using only linear movements of the radiation detector;
• c) reorienting the radiation detector, if appropriate, based on the new angular position;
• and
• d) repeating said a) through c) to acquire the image data from a plurality of angular positions about the object.

A method of using a medical imaging system to acquire tomographic image data of an object, the imaging system including a first radiation detector and a second radiation detector, the method comprising:

• a) using the first radiation detector and the second radiation detector to acquire image data of the object, with the first radiation detector and the second radiation detector each positioned at a different angular position about the object;
• b) repositioning the first and second radiation detectors each to a new angular position about the object using only linear movements of the first and second radiation detectors;
• c) reorienting the first and second radiation detectors, if appropriate, based on the new angular positions;
• and
• d) repeating said a) through c) to acquire image data of the object from a total range of angular positions about the object of approximately 360 degrees.