The University of Arizona

Raytheon Company

University Patents, Inc.

Invicro, LLC

Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Health

National University of Ireland, Galway

Wyko, Inc.

Harrison H Barrett

Luca Caucci

John William Hoppin

Yijun Ding

Brian Miller

Lars R Furenlid

H Bradford Barber

William Swindell

Liying Chen

Herbert B Barber

Scott Gordon

John E Greivenkamp, Jr

Akinori Ohkubo

Alexander Goncharov

David T Wilson

Eric Clarkson

William W Stoner

Luther Davis, Jr

Julia A Sakamoto

Daniel G Marks

Joshua D Eskin

Donald W Wilson

Walter J Wild

Michel M Rogulski

Eustace L Dereniak

The present invention provides autoradiography methods and systems for imaging via the detection of alpha particles, beta particles, or other charged particles. Embodiments of the methods and systems provide high-resolution 3D imaging of the distribution of a radioactive probe, such as a radiopharmaceutical, on a tissue sample. Embodiments of the present methods and systems provide imaging of tissue samples by reconstruction of a 3D distribution of a source of particles, such as a radiopharmaceutical. Embodiments of the methods and systems provide tomographic methods including microtomography, macrotomography, cryomicrotomography and cryomacrotomography.

Particle emission tomography

The present invention provides methods and systems for manipulating radiance data obtained from a radiance sensor that includes a lenslet array and a photodetector array, where the manipulation of the radiance data uses one or more algorithms or mathematical transformations applied by a software program. Manipulating the measured radiance data computationally produces the same optical effects of a desired optical system without having to insert the optical system into the optical path of the electromagnetic radiation. The manipulated radiance data is then used to generate an image.

Synthetic imaging systems using algorithms or mathematical transformations simulate optical effects of optical components

A radiance sensor includes a memory and a microprocessor. The memory stores non-transitory computer-readable instructions and adapted to store a plurality of electrical signals output from a photodetector array in response to electromagnetic radiation transmitted through a lenslet array and incident on the photodetector array. The microprocessor is adapted to execute the instructions to (i) determine irradiance of the electromagnetic radiation in a detector plane from the plurality of electrical signals, each electrical signal having generated by a respective one of a plurality of photodetectors of the photodetector array, and (ii) reconstruct, from the determined irradiance, the 4D-radiance in an input plane, the lenslet array being between the input plane and the detector plane.

Radiance sensor and radiance reconstruction method

The present invention provides methods and systems for 3D imaging of in vivo and ex vivo tissues. The disclosed systems and methods employ an autoradiographic approach where particles emitted by a radioactive composition within the tissue are detected. Once detected, a 3D representation of the source of particles within the tissue is reconstructed for viewing and analysis.

Beta and alpha emission tomography for three-dimensional autoradiography

An apparatus for estimating a wavefront parameter includes a light source, a lenslet array, a detector for detecting light generated by the light source and passed through the lenslet array, a wavefront corrective element disposed between the lenslet array and the light source; and a data analyzer configured to estimate at least one wavefront parameter at a plane located on the light source side of the corrective element. The lenslet array and the sensor array are arranged to form a wavefront sensor, and the wavefront corrective element is configured to correct an aberration of the wavefront.

Apparatus and method for estimating wavefront parameters

An X-ray detection device including a scintillator configured to convert gamma rays or X-rays into optical radiation, an optical image intensifier configured to intensify the optical radiation to generate intensified optical radiation, an optical coupling system configured to guide the intensified optical radiation, and a solid state detector configured to detect the intensified optical radiation to generate an interaction image representing an X-ray energy emission and to perform photon counting based on data of the interaction image.

X-ray detector including scintillator, a lens array, and an image intensifier

A gamma-ray or X-ray detection device including a scintillator configured to convert gamma rays or X-rays into optical radiation, an optical image intensifier configured to intensify the optical radiation to generate intensified optical radiation, an optical coupling system configured to guide the intensified optical radiation, and a solid state detector configured to detect the intensified optical radiation to generate an interaction image representing a gamma-ray or X-ray energy emission.

Gamma camera including a scintillator and an image intensifier

An imaging apparatus for simultaneously determining optical parameters of the eye comprising: a light source for illuminating at least a portion of the eye pupil; an illumination optical system for directing light rays emitted from the light source into the eye; a light receiving optical system for guiding the light rays reflected from the eye to a detector unit, wherein the detector unit detects an image intensity distribution from the light rays reflected from the eye; and an arithmetic unit for determining optical characteristics of the eye by parameter estimation is provided.

Inverse optical design

A coded aperture is placed in proximity of a patient's body and a 2D coded image is acquired in conventional manner. The basic data-acquisition geometry is similar to that used in various coded-aperture systems. According to one aspect of the invention, additional coded images are acquired with different spacings between the aperture and the detector. Alternatively, additional coded images could be acquired with multiple movable apertures or by varying the location of the aperture relative to a patient. Another aspect of the invention resides in the recognition that presently available computer algorithms can process these multiple coded images in such a way as to estimate the integrals of the 3D object over a set of parallel cylindrical tubes extending through the volume of the target object. Such &ldquo;tube integrals&rdquo; can be thought of as the output of an ideal collimator where the sensitivity is confined to a tubular region of constant cross-section.

Coded-aperture system for planar imaging of volumetric sources

A CdZnTe detector array with pixel electrodes indium-bump-bonded to a multiplexer readout circuit. The pixel size is selected so as to minimize the effect of hole trapping while ensuring that all interacting electrons deposit their energy in a designated central pixel. The readout is carried out either when a gamma-ray interaction event occurs or at time intervals likely to produce no more than one event of photon interaction at any given pixel. The readout signal for each pixel is compared to a corresponding threshold signal to identify clusters of adjacent pixels having an above-threshold signal. Then, a central pixel is designated for each cluster, the signals from a predetermined number of pixels in and/or neighboring the cluster are added to produce a cumulative signal, and the cumulative signal is assigned to the designated central pixel. The cumulative signals so produced and the positions of corresponding central pixels are then processed to generate an image of the gamma-ray emitting source. According to other embodiments of the invention, the signals from a predetermined number of pixels in and/or neighboring the clusters are used to estimate spatial coordinates and energy of each interaction event or to estimate the spatial and energy distribution of the fluence of events of gamma-ray interaction with the detector.

Signal processing method for gamma-ray semiconductor sensor

An improvement to phase-shifting interferometry that consists of the addition of a pupil mask with two parallel slits and a polarizer in the optical path of a conventional phase-shifting interferometer. The pupil-mask/polarizer combination is adapted to produce a linearly polarized wavefront of light reaching the sample surface at a predetermined angle of incidence, thereby producing a corresponding phase shift on reflection. The relative orientation of the mask and polarizer can be changed to take measurements with the polarizer parallel or perpendicular to the mask slits, in each case producing a phase shift on reflection related to the test sample's refractive index and extinction coefficient. Four phase-shifting measurements conducted at .pi./2 intervals for each polarization axis yield sufficient interferometric information to map n, k and the height profile of the sample surface. The preferred mask consists of an opaque disk structure having two opposite annular slits approximately 90-degrees wide and with an outer annular radius approximately twice the size of the inner annular radius.

Method and apparatus for correcting surface profiles determined by

A hybrid gamma-ray semiconductor detector is used in combination with attenuating apertures of the kind used in emission computed tomography. The detector comprises a slab of semiconductor material partitioned into multiple cells individually connected to a multiplexer through indium-bump pressure welds for the sequential read-out of integrated pulses generated in each cell as a result of gamma-ray absorption events. The single output channel provided by the multiplexer permits the construction of semiconductor sensor cells approximately one millimeter in size for improved spatial resolution of the detector. The greater resolution of the detector makes it possible to narrow the distance between the image forming apertures and the detector's surface, thus minimizing overlapping of the gamma-ray radiation and the size of the overall apparatus. As a result of the smaller acceptable distance between the aperture surface and the detector, it is also possible to have a greater number of apertures without overlap with a resulting substantial improvement in system sensitivity.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Harrison H Barrett