Methods and systems for collimating

A collimator for collimating radiation, the collimator comprising:

• collimator material and at least one collimator hole defined by the surrounding collimator material,
• the collimator hole defining an aperture, and an entrance opening and an exit opening through which radiation can enter respectively leave the collimator,
• wherein a volume of the collimator hole between the aperture and the entrance opening and/or the exit opening is shaped such that there is at least one cross-section of the hole between the aperture and the entrance opening and/or the exit opening, the cross-section being taken parallel with the aperture, and the shape of the cross-section of the hole being a non-affine transform of the shape of the aperture, and
• wherein the collimator is configured to operate with a detector having a non-circular shaped detection area, wherein the volume of the collimator hole between the aperture and the exit opening is determined from the shape of the detection area and/or wherein the volume of the collimator hole between the aperture and the entrance opening is determined from the shape of the detection area.

A method for designing or producing a collimator comprising:

• defining a collimator material and at least one collimator hole defined by the surrounding collimator material, wherein said at least one collimator hole defines an aperture, and an entrance and an exit opening through which radiation can enter and leave the collimator, respectively,
• shaping a volume of the at least one collimator hole between the aperture and the entrance opening and/or the exit opening such that there is at least one cross-section of the hole between the aperture and the entrance opening and/or the exit opening, the cross-section being taken parallel with the aperture, and the shape of the cross-section of the hole being a non-affine transform of the shape of the aperture, and
• determining a detection area or part thereof for irradiating using the collimator,
• wherein the collimator is configured to operate with a detector having a non-circular shaped detection area, and wherein the volume of the at least one collimator hole between the aperture and the exit opening is determined from a shape of the detection area and/or wherein the volume of the collimator hole between the aperture and the entrance opening is determined from a shape of the detection area.