Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

Siemens Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Stefan B Siegel

Ziad Burbar

Inki Hong

James J Hamill

Robert A Mintzer

Aaron McFarland

Danny F Newport

Charles Russell Buchanan

Michael E Casey

Peter Hansen

Mark W Lenox

Blake Atkins

James Luke Corbeil

John David Keller

Dongming Hu

Joel Karp

Xinli Liu

Derek W Austin

Eric Arnsdorff

Casey Barrett Holbrook

John Keller

A detector unit for a PET imaging system is disclosed that includes a gantry having a patient-receiving tunnel, where the detector unit includes a plurality of detector elements in a helical arrangement around an axial axis of the PET imaging system.

Helically-arranged positron emission tomography detector units

A method for performing a partial scan of a patient using a PET/CT system includes receiving a selection of a region of interest for scanning and performing a CT scan over a region of interest with the PET/CT system to acquire raw CT data. The raw CT data is reconstructed into one or more CT images. The PET/CT system is configured to limit data collection to the region of interest. A PET scan limited to a region of interest is performed with the PET/CT system to acquire raw PET data. The raw PET data is reconstructed into one or more PET images of the region of interest.

Partial scan and reconstruction for a positron emission tomography system

A gantry cooling system of a diagnostic medical imaging apparatus transfers apparatus-generated heat, such as gantry heat, to a solid material heatsink, via a circulating-fluid coolant conduit. In some embodiments, the heatsink is incorporated in the ground or within the building structure housing the apparatus.

Cooling system with solid material heatsink for a diagnostic medical imaging apparatus

A PET imaging system includes a gantry having a patient tunnel and a first detector unit and a second detector unit housed inside the gantry, each including a plurality of detector elements in a helical arrangement around an axial axis of the imaging system. Each of the detector elements in the second detector unit is spaced apart from a corresponding detector element in the first detector unit by an axial gap. Each detector element has an axial position. Each of the first and second detector units has its detector elements arranged so that a set of the detector elements is positioned such that each detector element in the set is offset from an adjacent detector element in the detector unit such that a maximum difference between axial positions of detector elements in each detector unit is less than or equal to the axial gap.

Helical PET architecture

A computer-implemented method for determining scan parameters includes receiving a set of input parameters. An average single per block for a nuclear imaging scanner having a predetermined field-of-view (FOV) is determined based on the input parameters and at least one scan parameter is determined based on the average single per block for the nuclear imaging scanner.

Model-based injected dose optimization for long axial FOV PET imaging

An apparatus for manufacturing a radioisotope comprises a container. The container comprising a portable neutron source and a solution that comprises a particular isotope. The portable neutron source is surrounded by the solution. The solution comprises at least one of copper phthalocyanine or copper salicylaldehyde o-phenylene diamine. The portable neutron source emits neutrons that react with the particular isotope resulting in the transformation of the particular isotope into the radioisotope.

Compact radioisotope generator

A medical imaging and/or radiotherapy apparatus incorporates a display for projecting a visible image to a patient lying on a patient table. A projector that projects the visible image moves in tandem with the patient table, so that it appears relatively motionless to the patient. In exemplary embodiments, the projector projects the visible image within a patient tunnel of the medical apparatus, including in some embodiments, an extended field of view medical imaging apparatus. In other exemplary embodiments, the projector projects the visible image on a screen above the patient table of a tunnel-less medical apparatus. The projector remains outside the imaging line of response of detectors within the imaging field or outside of the radiotherapy beam zone, to avoid potential degradation of the captured diagnostic image or degradation of the radiotherapy beam.

Patient display system for a medical imaging or radiotherapy apparatus

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for making a radioisotope and a composition of matter including the radioisotope. The radioisotope is made by exposing a material to neutrons from a portable neutron source.

Composition of matter comprising a radioisotope composition

A system and method include acquisition of a plurality of event data associated with an object, each of the plurality of event data associated with a position and a time, assigning of each event data to one of a plurality of time-based frames based on a time associated with the event data, each of the plurality of time-based frames associated with a respective time period, assigning of each event data to one of a plurality of motion-based frames based on a time associated with the event data, each of the plurality of motion-based frames associated with a respective time period associated with a respective motion state, determination of a confidence score based on the plurality of time-based frames of event data and on the plurality of motion-based frames of event data, and presentation of the confidence score and a control selectable to initiate motion-correction of the event data.

Determination of confidence score for motion correction

A novel PET calibration phantom structure is disclosed that has reduced overall weight and reduced radiation shielding requirement while still enabling safe handling. Furthermore, when the phantom is not being used, the &#x3b2;+ radiation source can be turned off or removed from the phantom, thus, lowering the radiation exposure risk to those handling the phantom.

Light weight positron emission tomography phantom

A method and apparatus for making a radioisotope and a composition of matter including the radioisotope. The radioisotope is made by exposing a material to neutrons from a portable neutron source. More specifically, a solution includes a particular isotope. The neutron source is completely surrounded by the solution. The solution is exposed to the neutrons. Generated radioisotopes are extracted from the solution.

Apparatuses and methods are provided that minimize the effects of dark-current pulses. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided where a first pixel is struck (i.e., a primary pixel). Pixels struck within a fixed time frame after the primary pixel is struck are referred to as secondary pixels. After a short fixed time frame has expired, the number of primary and secondary pixels is added. If the count exceeds a threshold, the primary pixel was activated by the first (or early) photon from a true gamma event. If the threshold is not met then it is likely the primary pixel generated a dark pulse that should be ignored.

Integrated digital discriminator for a silicon photomultiplier

A method () of operation of a PET scanner () that determines the depth of interaction of the annihilation photons within the scintillator () in localizing a temporal photon pair along a line of response (LOR).

Depth-of-interaction in an imaging device

An apparatus and method to increase the sensitivity at the edge of radiation detector blocks is disclosed herein. Reduced sensitivity can result from photons entering a first detector block, escaping, and scattering into an adjacent detector, thereby depositing energy into two detectors blocks. Energy lost into adjacent detector blocks can be compensated with energy detected in the adjacent detector block. This can be done, for example, by processing channels from multiple detector blocks with one Field Programmable Gated Array (FPGA) on one Event Process Module (EPM) board. This can enable summing energy of one detector block with energy from an adjacent detector block when the initial interaction occurs at the edge of the first detector block. This can result in a better estimate of the amount of energy associated with the initial photon being detected.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Stefan B Siegel