Systems and methods for summing signals from an imaging detector

A method comprising:

• detecting, during a reading cycle, with a multi-pixel detector, an event corresponding to energy received during a nuclear medicine (NM) scan using a radiopharmaceutical;
• requesting a reading of energy for an identified pixel that detects received energy above a predetermined level;
• determining an energy level of the energy for the identified pixel responsive to the request;
• and
• for the identified pixel,
• if the energy level of the identified pixel is determined to correspond to an energy of the radiopharmaceutical, counting the event for the identified pixel;
• if the energy level of the identified pixel is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, identifying an energy level of at least one adjacent pixel and determining the combined energy level of the identified pixel and the at least one adjacent pixel;
• if the combined energy level is determined to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, counting the event for at least one of the identified pixel or the at least one adjacent pixel;
• and
• if the combined energy level is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, disregarding the event.

A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more computer software modules configured to direct one or more processors to:

• detect, during a reading cycle, with a multi-pixel detector, an event corresponding to energy received during a nuclear medicine (NM) scan using a radiopharmaceutical;
• request, based on the received energy, a reading of energy for an identified pixel that detects received energy above a predetermined level;
• determine an energy level of the energy for the identified pixel responsive to the request;
• and
• for the identified pixel,
• if the energy level of the identified pixel is determined to correspond to an energy of the radiopharmaceutical, count the event for the identified pixel;
• if the energy level of the identified pixel is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, identify an energy level of at least one adjacent pixel and determine the combined energy level of the identified pixel and the at least one adjacent pixel;
• if the combined energy level is determined to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, count the event for at least one of the identified pixel or the at least one adjacent pixel;
• and
• if the combined energy level is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, disregard the event.

A method comprising:

• detecting, during a reading cycle, with a multi-pixel detector, plural events corresponding to energy received during a nuclear medicine (NM) scan using a radiopharmaceutical;
• requesting a reading of energy for one or more identified pixels that detect received energy;
• determining an energy level for at least an identified pixel of the one or more identified pixels responsive to the request;
• and
• for the identified pixel,
• if the energy level of the identified pixel for an event is determined to correspond to an energy of the radiopharmaceutical, counting the event for the identified pixel;
• if the energy level of the identified pixel is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical and if an average time between the plural events is longer than a time to complete the reading cycle, identifying an energy level of at least one additional pixel corresponding to an additional event occurring consecutively with the event, and determining the combined energy level of the identified pixel and the at least one additional pixel;
• if the combined energy level is determined to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, counting the event for at least one of the identified pixel or the at least one additional pixel;
• and
• if the combined energy level is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, disregarding the event.

A method comprising:

• detecting, during a reading cycle, with a multi-pixel detector, plural events corresponding to energy received during a nuclear medicine (NM) scan using a radiopharmaceutical;
• requesting a reading of energy for one or more identified pixels that detect received energy, wherein only energy for pixels identified as detecting received energy is read;
• determining an energy level for an identified pixel of the one or more identified pixels responsive to the request;
• and
• for the identified pixel,
• if the energy level of the identified pixel for an event is determined to correspond to an energy of the radiopharmaceutical, counting the event for the identified pixel;
• if the energy level of the identified pixel is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, identifying an energy level of at least one additional pixel corresponding to an additional event occurring consecutively with the event, and determining the combined energy level of the identified pixel and the at least one additional pixel;
• if the combined energy level is determined to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, counting the event for at least one of the identified pixel or the at least one additional pixel;
• and
• if the combined energy level is determined not to correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical, disregarding the event.