Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Medical Systems, Inc.

John Thomas Pawlak

Charles C Watson

David Faul

Jun Bao

Elmar Rummert

A Hans Vija

Sharon Xiaorong Wang

James T Chapman

George William Dailey

Ralph Ladebeck

Ralf Ladebeck

James Frank Caruba

John C Engdahl

Ansgar Graw

Guenter Hahn

Douglas Jay Wagenaar

Peggy Hawman

Govind Pai

Anthony Perrone

A phantom for co-registering a magnetic resonance image and a nuclear medical image is disclosed. The phantom includes a longitudinal member having a first end cap and a second end cap and a chamber contained within the longitudinal member. The chamber contains a fluid for producing a first image using a first imaging modality. The phantom further includes a first rod disposed within the chamber of the longitudinal member. The first rod contains a radioactive substance for producing a second image using a second imaging modality.

Alignment phantom for MR/PET system

A system and tuning method to collaboratively calibrate high voltage DAC values and Photomultiplier Tube DAC values of photomultiplier tubes of a gamma camera so that the detector produces a valid energy spectrum over the entire detector surface. A method for tuning a gamma camera having a plurality of photosensors, exposes the photosensors to scintillation photons corresponding to nuclear radiation of known energy; measures an energy output corresponding to each specific photosensor; calculates an average enemy output of all photosensors in the camera; collaboratively adjusts a DAC value corresponding to a voltage applied to a specific photosensor and a DACvalue corresponding to a high voltage applied to the camera based on the calculated average energy, energy output of each photosensor, and a target energy value corresponding to said known energy; and repeats the calibration until convergence is achieved between the average energy, energy output, and target energy.

Method for collaborative tuning of gamma camera

A method for optimizing the scanning trajectory of a radiation detector device, e.g., a SPECT scanning device, about an object generally includes: obtaining object image data using a different imaging modality, e.g., a CT scanning device, determining a maximum object boundary based on the image data, calculating an optimal scan trajectory of the SPECT scanning device relative to the object based on the maximum object boundary, scanning the object with the SPECT scanning device along the optimal scan trajectory to detect gamma photons emanating from the object, from which an image can be reconstructed from the detected gamma photons. Preferably, the SPECT device includes at least two detectors arranged at a pre-selected angle relative to one another and the optimal scan trajectory minimizes the distance between the detectors and the object while maximizing the geometric efficiency of the detectors relative to the object.

Method for generation of SPECT trajectory data from CT data

A mobile detector system for use in the detection of radiation photons. The detector system includes an exterior casing, having an internal area. The internal area has an interior periphery and an exterior periphery, at least one rail, at least one mobile camera, that is movably mounted on the at least one rail, and at least one motor. The motor drives at least one mobile camera, and the at least one mobile camera is movable along at least one rail within the exterior casing, to a plurality of radiation receiving positions.

Mobile camera for organ targeted imaging

Attenuation correction data is obtained from one or more transmission sources to calculate the attenuation factors of a reconstruction area of an object being imaged by a nuclear medicine apparatus, such as a SPECT gamma camera. The transmission sources are capable of swiveling the direction of the transmission to correspond with the direction of capture of the gamma detectors. Additionally, the transmission sources are capable of linear movement to correspond with any linear movement of the detectors. The transmission sources are able to follow the same path as the detectors in order to determine the attenuation factors through the same reconstruction area being scanned by the detectors.

Attenuation correction for SPECT imaging using non-classical orbits of many small gamma cameras

A non-circular-orbit detection method and apparatus is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes: locating first and second detectors, displaced with respect to one another, a distance from a patient; moving the first and second detectors in a direction towards the patient until a first sensor senses a first point of the patient at a first sensing position; moving the first and second detectors in a second direction from the first sensing position until a second sensor senses a second point of the patient at a second sensing position; and moving the first and second detectors in a non-circular-orbit around the patient. Preferably, the method includes determining the non-circular-orbit based on, among other things, locations of the first point and the second point.

Non-circular-orbit detection method and apparatus

A radionuclide scanner in which multiple detectors are equipped with collimators such that a circular rotation of the detector around a target provides the movement needed for collimator sampling. This collimator sampling is accomplished through strategic placement of the detector heads relative to each other such that for any given projection, a complete imaging of the projection is acquired by summing the complementary contributions of the multiple detector heads at the projection under consideration.

High resolution, multiple detector tomographic radionuclide imaging based upon separated radiation detection elements

A planarizing heat sink plate having a top portion and a bottom portion is provided. The heat sink plate includes a plurality of receiving means formed therethrough and operable to receive a module ejection device, and at least one removing means formed therethrough and operable to receive a driving device. Also included is at least one planarizing projection formed on the bottom portion and adapted to receive a radiographic sensor module. The at least one removing means is disposed between the plurality of receiving means, and the at least one planarizing projection corresponds to the at least one removing means. The heat sink plate is a multi-functional device that can aid in forming an efficient radiographic detector head comprising a plurality of radiographic sensor modules in the same plane, safely removing the radiographic sensor modules, and conducting heat away from the radiographic sensor modules.

Integrated heat sink, detector module planarizer, and apparatus for ejecting detector modules

A fail-safe ball screw assembly has a double-start screw and a corresponding nut. The screw has a first helix with a truncated, smaller diameter flat and an intertwined second helix with an extended, larger diameter flat. Similarly, the corresponding nut has a first helix with an extended, larger diameter flat and an intertwined second helix with a truncated, smaller diameter flat. When the screw is inserted with the nut, the screw's truncated first helix is paired with the nut's extended first helix, and the screw's extended second helix is paired with the nut's truncated second helix. The nut and screw helixes combine to form channels in which bearings balls travel. The bearings allow the fail-safe ball screw assembly to operate with high efficiency and precision, while the overlapping structure of the helixes prevents catastrophic failure caused by the removal or loss of the bearing balls. In particular, the extended, larger diameter flats of second screw helix and the first nut helix interact, similar to commonly threaded screws, to prevent the unintended separation of the screw and nut. Another implementation of the present invention connects a torque sensor to the ball screw assembly to detect deterioration.

Fail-safe ball screw

A high voltage distribution system for distributing a high voltage supply to a plurality of semiconductor radiation detector modules, includes a conductive strip connected to a high voltage supply. The conductive strip is preferably made of aluminum foil, and contacts a surface of each of the detectors. The conductive strip is held into contact with the semiconductor radiation detectors by applying pressure to said conductive strip with a pressure plate, including a compressible layer such as a foam layer. A vacuum is created in an area occupied by the semiconductor modules and the conductive strip. The high voltage distribution system allows a high negative voltage to be applied to the semiconductor detector modules with a minimum of attenuation. In a preferred embodiment, the detector modules are CZT modules, and the system is incorporated into a solid-state gamma camera for nuclear medicine imaging.

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Villa Park, IL, United States of America

John Thomas Pawlak