Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche

Pol. Hi. Tech. S.r.l.

Alessandro Soluri

Roberto Massari

Roberto Pani

Francesco Scopinaro

Raffaele Scafe'

Nunzio Burgio

Alfiero Schiaratura

Carlo Trotta

Marco Piano

Raffaele Scafe

Guerrino Scibilia

A multifunction gamma radiation detector includes a supporting rod, a detection head coupled to or integrated with a first end of the supporting rod including detection elements separate from each other for simultaneously detecting gamma radiation directed along respective directions. Each detection element includes a scintillation crystal and corresponding first electronic conversion circuitry for receiving an optical signal from the crystal and converting it into an electrical signal. The detector also includes a handgrip, connectable to a second end of the supporting rod and which can be manually gripped by an operator to direct the detector, and a second electronic circuitry for converting and/or treating the signals connected to the first electronic conversion circuitry. The head also includes an optical detection device acquiring a sequence of optical signals emitted by a suitably energized body tissue. The detection elements are angularly distributed on the detection head about optical detection device.

Multifunction gamma radiation detector

Described is a directional gamma detector including a detection probe and a handgrip, wherein the detection probe includes: a supporting rod and a detection head coupled or integrated with a first end of the supporting rod. The detection head includes a plurality of detection elements distinct from each other for simultaneously detecting gamma rays directed in different directions and including at least one scintillation crystal and a corresponding first electronic conversion circuitry. Each detection element is associated with a respective collimator. The handgrip is equipped internally with a second electronic circuitry for converting the signals. The detection probe, and in particular a second end of the supporting rod, is reversibly connectable to the handgrip by a mechanical connector equipped with electrical contacts for transferring the signals from the first electronic conversion circuitry to the second electronic conversion circuitry.

Directional gamma detector

A diagnostic device for morpho-functional investigations includes a plurality of measuring elements () of the scintillation type, positioned around a receiving area () for performing relative three-dimensional investigations on different parts of a patient (P) positioned in the receiving area, the first ring () having an internal diameter (d) less than the internal diameter (D) of the second ring ().

Diagnostic device for morpho-functional investigations

A portable gamma camera includes a containment body (), a scintillation measuring structure () housed in the containment body (), a collimator () associated with the measuring structure (), a display () positioned on the containment body () and an electronic controller unit (), operating between the measuring structure () and the display () for generating on the display () images representing the radiation intercepted by the measuring structure ().

Portable gamma camera

A scintigraphic device includes: a collimator for receiving and directing electromagnetic radiation from a source; a scintillation structure associated with the collimator for receiving the electromagnetic radiation from the collimator and converting it into visible radiation; an electro-optical converter combined with a suitable electronics and associated with the scintillation structure for receiving the visible radiation and converting it into electric signals; a processing unit connected to the electro-optical converter for receiving the electric signals and rebuilding, as a function of the electric signals, images of the source; an actuating system for mutually moving the source and the collimator to enable the collimator to detect the electromagnetic radiation at different mutual positioning locations of the source and the collimator, the processing unit being adapted to rebuild a plurality of auxiliary images representative of the source, each auxiliary image corresponding to a respective mutual positioning of the source and the collimator.

Scintigraphic device with spatial super-resolution

A method for obtaining a scintillation body comprising the steps of readying a matrix of binding material within which is present a plurality of scintillation crystals, obtaining a plurality of channels within the matrix and around the crystals and inserting metallic material having a high atomic number and high density between mutually adjacent scintillation crystals without separating the scintillation crystals from the matrix of binding material.

Method for obtaining a scintillation structure

A scintigraphic device includes a case open at an application end, and coated by a shielding shell; a collimator positioned inside the case, made of a material with high atomic number and high density and having a plurality of collimation channels extending mutually parallel according to a predefined direction of measurement; a measuring member positioned inside the case in proximity to the collimator and including a scintillation crystal for converting each ionizing radiation originating from a source in exam into light radiation, and at least one photosensor, for determining the energy and the position of each detected event. The measuring member and the collimator are relatively movable to increase and/or reduce the distance between the converter and the application end and consequently to vary the total length of the collimator. The collimator may include two or more blocks at least one of which is movable relative to the others.

Scintigraphic device with variable resolution

A miniaturized scintigraphic device comprising a collimator ( ), internally having a multiplicity of equal conduits ( ) of determined length, identified and separated by septa ( ) of minimum thickness in relation to the energy of the radiation, terminating in a common end plane ( ) on the side opposite to the source of the event to be measured, comprising a scintillation crystal structure ( ) and at least a photomultiplier ( ), in which the scintillation crystal structure is constituted by a multiplicity of individual crystals ( ) with polygonal section, each integrally integrated in proximity to the end, oriented towards the photomultiplier ( ), of each conduit ( ) of the collimator ( ), having conforming polygonal section, and arranged in such a way that all the base faces ( ) of the crystals ( ) oriented towards the photomultiplier ( ) are mutually coplanar and lying on a plane parallel to said common end plane ( ) of the collimator ( ).

High spatial resolution scintigraphic device having collimator with integrated crystals

A scintigraphic device, comprising a collimator, a scintillation crystal structure, a plurality of photomultipliers, electronic circuits for the determination of the position co-ordinates (XY) and energy of the event and their amplification for their subsequent transfer to an electronic processor, wherein photomultipliers ( ) are positioned mutually adjacent, each provided with its own independent electronic circuits ( ), and a circuit ( ) for interrogating the respective synchronism signals drawn from the respective electronic circuits ( ) determines the signal indicating the photomultiplier ( ) that detected the event and enables only a corresponding analogue switch ( ) to transfer the signals carrying the position co-ordinates of the event from the enabled electronic components ( ) to an analog to digital converter (A/D).

Modular high spatial resolution scintigraphic device with multiple independent photomultipliers and with extensible visualisation area

The miniaturized gamma camera has all specific functionalities of gamma cameras, with extremely high spatial resolution (about 1-2 mm) and dimensions of about 22 mm&times;22 mm of active area and total size of about 35 mm&times;35 mm, such as to fit in one of the surgeon's hands and to be handled with absolute ease.

Miniaturized gamma camera with very high spatial resolution

The gamma camera, able to be developed in areas of any size and unlimited, presents such a thickness as to be considered flat and of minimal bulk and it can be assembled in individual modules to be attached one to the other solving the problem of dead zones between individual PSPMTS, with values of intrinsic spatial resolution in the order of 1 mm. The application of the present invention may range from the medical field (PET, SPECT, SPEM, PEM, etc.) to employment in astrophysics.

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Rome, Italy

Alessandro Soluri