Nuclear imaging system and method using segmented field of view

A method of diagnostic imaging with a nuclear camera which includes a rotating gantry on which at least first and second detector heads are mounted, the gantry being movable in a longitudinal direction, each of the detector heads carrying an offset transmission radiation source transmitting transmission radiation through an examination region to the other detector head, each detector head being segmented about a plane orthogonal to said longitudinal direction into a first region which is not used for collecting emission data and a second region which is used for collecting emission data, the method comprising:

• injecting a subject to be imaged with a radiopharmaceutical composition generating emission radiation;
• during an emission imaging phase, detecting single photon emission radiation events from the radiopharmaceutical composition with the second region of each detector head to generate emission data based on the emission radiation events detected;
• and
• during a transmission imaging phase, transmitting transmission radiation through a subject to be imaged, the subject attenuating the transmission radiation;
• during the transmission phase, detecting transmission radiation events from the transmission radiation with the first region of each detector head and generating transmission data based on the transmission radiation events.

A method of diagnostic imaging with a nuclear camera which includes a rotating gantry on which at least first and second detector heads are mounted, the gantry being rotatable about a longitudinal direction, each of the detector heads carrying an offset transmission radiation source transmitting transmission radiation through an examination region to the other detector head, each detector head being segmented into the first and second regions about a plane orthogonal to said longitudinal direction, the method comprising:

• injecting a subject to be imaged with a radiopharmaceutical composition generating emission radiation;
• during an emission imaging phase, detecting emission radiation events from the radiopharmaceutical composition to generate emission data based on the emission radiation events detected with the first region of each detector head;
• and
• during a transmission imaging phase, transmitting transmission radiation through a subject to be imaged, the subject attenuating the transmission radiation;
• during the transmission phase, detecting transmission radiation events from the transmission radiation and generating transmission data based on the transmission radiation events with the second region of each detector head.

A gamma camera comprising:

• a plurality of detectors for detecting emission radiation emitted from within a subject and transmission radiation which has traversed the subject to be imaged, the subject attenuating the radiation, each detector generating position and energy data;
• a plurality of transmission radiation sources, each transmission radiation source transmitting transmission radiation through an examination region to one of the detectors;
• segment selector circuitry connected with the detectors for selectively disabling a different portion of each detector during collection of each of emission data and transmission data;
• a first electronic storage medium connected with the segment selector circuitry storing transmission data;
• a second electronic storage medium connected with the segment selector circuitry storing emission data;
• a first reconstruction processor connected with the first electronic storage medium which generates a transmission image representation;
• and
• a second reconstruction processor connected with the second electronic storage medium which generates an emission image representation.

A gamma camera comprising:

• a rotating gantry mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis;
• a plurality of detector heads for detecting emission radiation emitted from within a subject and transmission radiation which has traversed the subject to be imaged, the detector heads being mounted to the rotating gantry, the subject attenuating the radiation, each detector head generating position and energy data at least one detector head being segmented along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis into a first portion for detecting emission radiation events for generating emission image data and a second portion for detecting transmission radiation events and generating transmission data;
• at least one transmission radiation source which transmits transmission radiation through the subject to the segmented detector head;
• an electronic storage medium which stores the transmission data and the emission data;
• a reconstruction processor which reconstructs the emission data and the transmission data into at least one electronic image representation.

A gamma camera comprising:

• a plurality of detectors for detecting emission radiation emitted from within a subject and transmission radiation which has traversed the subject to be imaged, the subject attenuating the radiation, each detector generating position and energy data;
• a collimator for restricting radiation received by an emission imaging region of at least one of the detector heads only to emission radiation traveling along a desired projection path;
• a plurality of transmission radiation sources, each transmission radiation source transmitting transmission radiation through an examination region to one of the detectors, the collimator blocking the transmission radiation from being received by the emission imaging region and enabling transmission radiation to be received by a transmission imaging region of the at least one detector head;
• an electronic storage medium connected with the segment selector circuitry storing transmission data collected by the transmission imaging region and storing emission data collected by the emission imaging region;
• a reconstruction processor connected with the first electronic storage medium and to generate an image representation.

A gamma camera comprising:

• a detector head having a radiation receiving face that is segmented into side-by-side first and second portions;
• a radioisotope transmission radiation source disposed across an examination region from the first portion of the radiation receiving face;
• a drive for moving the detector head and the radiation source around the examination region;
• a SPECT collimator mounted to the second portion of the radiation receiving face;
• and
• one of an axial filter, a transmission radiation collimator, and no collimator covering the first portion of the radiation receiving face.