Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Toshikatsu Ruike

Tsutomu Yamakawa

Nobuyuki Nakamura

A scintillation camera having a detector with a surface and designed to form a tomographic image of a subject from radiation emitted from radio isotope administered to the subject and detected by the detector. The camera comprises a data acquiring device for acquiring data required to reconstruct a tomographic image of the subject, and a detector holder for holding the detector at a predetermined distance from the body surface of the subject while the data acquiring device is acquiring the data. The detector holder includes a sensor located between the subject and the detection surface of the detector, a sensor control circuit for controlling the sensor and detecting ON/OFF state of the sensor, and a detector moving device for moving the detector toward and away from the subject in accordance with the ON/OFF state detected by the sensor control circuit.

Scintillation camera and sensor for use therein

A scintillation camera having a detector with a surface and designed to form a tomographic image of a subject from radiation emitted from radioisotope administered to the subject and detected by the detector. The camera comprises a data acquiring device for acquiring data required to reconstruct a tomographic image of the subject, and a detector holder for holding the detector at a predetermined distance from the body surface of the subject while the data acquiring device is acquiring the data. The detector holder includes a sensor located between the subject and the detection surface of the detector, a sensor control circuit for controlling the sensor and detecting ON/OFF state of the sensor, and a detector moving device for moving the detector toward and away from the subject in accordance with the ON/OFF state detected by the sensor control circuit.

A scintillation camera having a detector with a surface and designed to form a tomographic image of a subject from radiation emitted from radio isotope administered to the subject and detected by the detector. The camera comprises a data acquiring device for acquiring data required to reconstruct a tomographic image of the subject, and a detector holder for holding the detector at a predetermined distance from the body surface of the subject while the data acquiring device is acquiring the data. The detector holder includes a sensor, which may for example be an ultrasonic sensor, a pressure sensor, a tension sensor or an optical sensor, located between the subject and the detection surface of the detector, a sensor control circuit for controlling the sensor and detecting ON/OFF state of the sensor, and a detector moving device for moving the detector toward and away from the subject in accordance with the ON/OFF state detected by the sensor control circuit.

A medical imaging apparatus in which an easy and accurate positioning of an imaging target inside a patient within a view field of an imaging device is possible. The apparatus includes: a signal detector for collecting the image data, having a limited effective view field located inside a frame; a carrier for carrying the patient into the frame in order to place the imaging target portion of the patient within the effective view field of the signal detector; and an indication marking, attached on the carrier, for indicating a range on the carrier which can be located within the effective view field of the signal detector. The apparatus may further includes: a height adjustment device for adjusting a height of the carrier by moving the carrier in a vertical direction; and a height indicator for indicating the height of the carrier on a scale provided on a horizontal plane so as to provide an easily and accurately readable indication of the height of the carrier.

Medical imaging apparatus with accurate patient postioning

Mounting pins having a head portion are provided on the detector member of a nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus while a coupling mechanism associated with a collimator is registrable with the mounting pin. The coupling mechanism includes an entrance aperture sized and configured to accept the head portion therein and claw members adjacent to the aperture for engagement with the head portion. The mounting pin and coupling mechanism together cooperate to permit the head portion to be accepted in the entrance aperture when the collimator member is in a dismounted position and to permit the claw member to be moved into engagement with the head portion in response to relative movement between the collimator and detector members in a mounting direction between the dismounted position and a mounted position. A biasing mechanism is preferably provided so as to forcibly urge the claw member against the head portion to securely retain the claw member thereagainst. Cam surfaces are also preferably provided on the forward end portion of the claw member such that upon relative movement between the collimator and radiation detector members, the cam surfaces responsively effect displacement of the biasing mechanism into a retracted position so as to aid in mounting of the collimator.

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Tochigi-ken, Japan

Toshikatsu Ruike