Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Bjoern Weissler

Volkmar Schulz

Torsten Solf

Pierre Gebhardt

Gordon D DeMeester

Achim Hilgers

Michael Andrew Morich

Eberhard Waffenschmidt

Derk Reefman

Jerome John Griesmer

Marinus Johannes Adrianus Maria Van Helvoort

Manfred Bruno Zinke

Christoph Lerche

Lambertus De Vries

Jacob Adrian Clemens Wehner

Sarah Lodomez

Pieter Gerrit Blanden

A combined-modality imaging assembly includes a Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging system and a nuclear imaging system. The nuclear imaging system has a plurality of (M) modules; and the combined imaging assembly includes a timing control unit having a reference clock unit; and at least one of a phase shifting unit and a frequency shifting unit. At least one of the phase shifting unit and the frequency shifting unit is configured to receive a reference clock signal from the reference clock unit and to generate a plurality of (M) shifted clock signals for clocking the (M) modules such that at least one of the (M) shifted clock signals is shifted respective the reference clock signal in at least one of frequency or phase. In so doing, reduced interference between the modules of the nuclear imaging system and the MR imaging system is obtained.

Reducing interference in a combined assembly for MRI and nuclear imaging

The invention concerns an evaluation apparatus () for evaluating gamma radiation events detected by a gamma camera () and identifying valid gamma radiation events, said (gamma camera () including a scintillator () for emitting scintillation photons () at photo conversion positions () in the scintillator () in response to incident gamma rays () and resulting gamma radiation events and a position-sensitive photodetector() for detecting emitted scintillation photons () and obtaining therefrom a spatial signal distribution (). The invention further concerns a calibration apparatus () for in-situ calibrating a position-sensitive photodetector () of a gamma camera () for the detection of gamma radiation events.

Apparatus and method for the evaluation of gamma radiation events

A data detection device is used in combination with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus. A magnetic field detection unit () serves to detect a temporally varying magnetic field generated by the MRI apparatus, and a timestamping unit () generates magnetic field detection timestamps in dependence of the detected temporally varying magnetic field. This allows determining a temporal relation to acquired MRI data.

Data detection timestamp device for use in combination with an MRI apparatus and a nuclear imaging (PET or SPECT) device

A detector module () for a positron emission tomography (PET) system () includes an optical transceiver () receiving an optical data stream from a PET processing system (). The data stream includes a pulse train carrying a command to generate sync/reset pulses. The system () further includes synchronization circuitry () configured to simultaneously jitter clean the pulse train and one of: 1) count the pulses of the pulse train; and 2) monitor the pulse train for a missing pulse. The synchronization circuitry () is further configured to, in response to counting a predetermined number of pulses or detecting the missing pulse, extract a jitter clean pulse from the pulse train to generate a jitter clean sync/reset pulse. The system () further includes an internal clock () which receives the jitter clean sync/reset pulse.

Method and system for synchronizing positron emission tomography (PET) detector modules

The invention relates to a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising: a main magnet () adapted for generating a main magnetic field; at least one radio frequency receiver coil unit () for acquiring magnetic resonance signals in a receiver coil radio frequency band () from an examined object (); means () for inductively (wirelessly) supplying electric power to an electric component of the apparatus, wherein the electric component is adapted to be powered by inductively supplied electric power, wherein the power transfer frequency () and the higher-harmonics () of the power transfer frequency () for inductively supplying the electric power are located outside the receiver coil radio frequency band ().

Inductively powered electric component of an MRI apparatus

An imaging system comprises: a magnetic resonance scanner () having a cylindrical bore () defining a cylinder axis (D), the magnetic resonance scanner having a gradient coil (') defining an isocenter () within the bore and an isoplane () passing through the isocenter and oriented transverse to the cylinder axis; a ring of radiation detectors (&#x2032;) arranged concentric with the cylindrical bore and configured to detect radiation emanating from within the bore; and a generally annular electronic circuit board (&#x2032;) arranged concentric with the cylindrical bore and centered on the isoplane, the generally annular electronic circuit board operatively connected with the ring of radiation detectors to generate electrical signals indicative of detection of radiation by the ring of radiation detectors.

Magnetic resonance gradient coil iso-plane backbone for radiation detectors of 511Kev

In a hybrid PET-MR system, PET detector elements () are added in the bore (), in close proximity to the gradient coils (). Fluid coolant is supplied to transfer heat from the PET detector elements (). Thermal insulation () insulates the fluid coolant and the PET detector elements () from the gradient coils (). In some embodiments, a first coolant path () is in thermal communication with the electronics, a second coolant path () is in thermal communication with the light detectors, and a thermal barrier () is arranged between the first and second coolant paths such that the first and second coolant paths can be at different temperatures (T, T). In some embodiments a sealed heat pipe () is in thermal communication with a heat sink such that working fluid in the heat pipe undergoes vaporization/condensation cycling to transfer heat from the detector elements to the heat sink.

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Aachen, Germany

Bjoern Weissler