Picker Corporation

Richard M Sano

Robert James Applegate

Donald S Kearns

Edward K Prokop

Basil N Ionnou

Jack B Tinkel

Bruce M Gillespie

John W Steidley

A radiation absorption shield assembly is disclosed for controlling the configuration of the radiation sensitive field of a radiation detecting camera. The shield assembly includes a first annular lead shield element defining a first aperture and mounted to the camera for blocking out a fixed field of radiation. The assembly also includes a second annular lead shield element in series with the first which defines a second aperture movable with respect to the first aperture. Attached to and in a spaced parallel relation with the first shield element is a circular radiation transparent disk which defines a thin gap to accommodate the second shield element. The second shield element is slidably adjustable within the gap, transverse to the first element, by one conducting a radiation study, to vary the configuration of a region of interest defining a field area through which radiation can pass from the patient for detection by the camera.

Scintillation camera radiation shielding

A nuclear cardiology system for use with a scintillation camera for evaluating cardiac function by real time measurement of the variation of radiation from the heart of a patient to whom is administered a radioactive tracer. The camera provides data describing the location of individual counts representing radiation events coming from the patient. The system segregates, in real time, counts corresponding to radiation from an electronically defined region of interest describing an investigated part of the heart, such as the left ventricle. Synchronized by the patient's electrocardiogram, time gated memory circuitry divides each heartbeat into a series of subintervals, and stores indications of the respective amounts of radiation events emanating from the region of interest during each of the subintervals. Calculating circuitry scans the stored information and, based on the maximum and minimum respective radiation amounts detected in the subintervals, computes the fraction of blood ejected by the heart in each beat. A strip chart recorder provides a permanent representation of the curve of radiation from the region of interest, as defined by the indicated series of subinterval radiation amounts.

Nuclear cardiology apparatus and method

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Stamford, CT, United States of America

Richard M Sano