Siemens Gammasonics, Inc.

G.d. Searle & Company

Siemens Eammasonics, Inc.

Anthony P Del Medico

Roger E Arseneau

Everett W Stoub

Raymond P DeVito

Ronald E Turcotte

Jay R Wolff

Paul C Lee

Upon the detection of a scintillation event at an event pixel, a plurality of associated pixels are identified. Weights are assigned to the event pixel and to all of the associated pixels in such a manner as to attribute the event over an area in a statistically accurate manner. A current sum of all weights which have been previously assigned to each pixel is stored. Unblank signals are generated, based upon this current sum, and the current sum is updated to account for the number of unblank signals so generated.

Multiple pixel area-weighted acquisition system for scintillation cameras

A method and device for producing nuclear images of an object under investigation which emits nuclear radiation, wherein the object is scanned along a scan axis by means of a radiation detector having a radiation detector field of view. The radiation detector field of view is masked by means of a mask field of view which partially exceeds the radiation detector field of view along the scan axis. The loss of sensitivity perpendicular to the scan axis in the parts of the mask field of view which exceed the radiation detector field of view is compensated by applying a weighting function proportional to the inverse of the incremental area along the scan axis bounded by the radiation detector field of view.

Method and device for producing nuclear images

A method and apparatus for the dynamic modification of the spatial distortion correction capabilities of a scintillation camera having spatial distortion correction apparatus. The spatial distortion correction apparatus includes a memory having stored therein spatial distortion correction factors in a predetermined addressable format. During the on-line use of the scintillation camera, the spatial distortion correction apparatus transforms the image event coordinate position data from the scintillation camera in accordance with the stored distortion correction factors to provide corrected image event coordinate repositioning data. The spatial distortion correction modification apparatus and method provides modification of the corrected image event coordinate data in accordance with the respective energy levels of the image events to provide accurate spatial distortion correction characteristics for the actual energy levels of the image events. The scintillation camera is thus automatically and dynamically capable of correcting for spatial distortion effects for image events of different energy levels. Different energy levels of image events occur when the scintillation camera is utilized with energy sources having multiple energy levels or a different energy level than the energy level at which the stored spatial distortion correction factors were calculated. The spatial distortion correction modification apparatus provides operation without the alteration of the scintillation camera apparatus and without any change in the stored correction factors. In a preferred embodiment, a coordinate correction factor of the spatial distortion correction apparatus is modified in accordance with the energy level of each image event, the coordinate correction factor of the spatial distortion correction apparatus being combined with the image event coordinate position data to provide corrected image event coordinate data.

Dynamic modification of spatial distortion correction capabilities of

A scintillation camera is suspended from an elevated gantry and is laterally movable. Sensors detecting the lateral position of the scintillation camera detector head produce signals which are combined with the detector head output signals to produce an image reflecting the occurrence of radioactive events within an expanded rectilinear field of view of the detector head. This image is stored using a recording medium.

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Niles, IL, United States of America

Anthony P Del Medico