Smv America, Inc.

Fmi Technologies, Inc.

Innovative Imaging Systems, Inc.

William K McCroskey

David S Vickers

Christ H Heipp

Timothy W Milliff

William D Dickinson

Jack A Drobny

Robert L Zahn

Roland W Carlson

Some embodiments can comprise a tomographic imaging data acquisition method(s) and/or systems embodying the method(s). Some methods according to embodiments of the invention include simultaneously reading each photoconverter of a scintillation detector; reading the photoconverters at a frequency sufficient to obtain a plurality of digital sample measurements of a scintillation wave front; and recording the data read from each of the plurality of photoconverters as a function of time.

Tomographic imaging methods and systems for digital wave front decimation in time sampling

A slab detector for PET and/or SPECT imaging comprising a scintillation crystal slab and a plurality of photoconverters each in optical communication with a surface of the scintillation crystal. In some embodiments, the plurality of photoconverters define a two dimensional array, wherein each photoconverter abuts adjacent photoconverters. Furthermore, according to some embodiments a plurality of slab detectors can be juxtaposed with one another so that their slab crystals abut edgewise.

Virtual pixelated detector for pet and/or spect

A gamma camera is modified to perform PET studies as well as SPECT studies by utilization of the camera's SPECT electronics to likewise generate triggering pulse signals for photons indicative of a positron annihilation event which are corrected, on a bundled basis, for position, linearity and uniformity by the same digital processors used by the camera for SPECT studies. In addition the triggering pulse signals generate analog timing signals passed through a coarse coincidence circuit to establish matched pairs of timing signals which are digitally time stamped and processed along with the bundled set of pulse signals that the timing signals originated from. The timing signals in turn are corrected from a mapped detector head look up table on the basis of the corrected position of the triggering pulse signal and the time lag between each matched timing signal pair passed through a fine coincidence window processor thus insuring that the line of response passing through the corrected, precisely established positions of scintillations that produced the triggering pulse signals occurred within a time period clearly indicative of a positron annihilation event. By counting only true LORs images having high resolution can be constructed even though the camera's detecting heads cover a limited solid angle of event detections. The timing correction table is generated from an improved calibration technique which factors out those inherent time delays, including signal noise and jitter, which are specific to that gamma camera.

Gamma camera for PET and SPECT studies

A gamma camera is equipped with a graded filter plate in lieu of a collimator so that the gamma camera can perform PET studies. The filter plate prevents detection of Compton scattered, positron annihilation photons produced in the patient while permitting detection of photons which have experienced Compton scattering within the camera's scintillation crystal to significantly increase the camera's usable count rate. Additionally, the filter is fitted with a protruding baffle shielding the camera from stray 511 Kev radiation.

Prefilter collimator for PET gamma camera

A detector arrangement is disclosed for an industrial CT x-ray system which uses a three dimensional cone beam to irradiate the specimen and a large two dimensional scintillation screen to develop a light image corresponding to the energy of the attenuated radiation beams. The light image is focused by a special lens arrangement with zoom capability onto the photocathode of an intensifier. The intensified light image developed is transmitted by fiberoptics to a plurality of CCD chips, each chip developing electrical signals corresponding to a segment of the image developed in the intensifier. The chips are clocked in a predetermined manner based on a prior information developed in an initial scan to produce a high resolution image of large industrial objects in a short time.

Detector imaging arrangement for an industrial CT device

An industrial CT system is provided for three dimensional imaginig which includes a three dimensional cone beam of hard radiation fixed with respect to a two dimensional scintillation detector array. The object is positioned on a turntable interposed between the radition source and detector array. Data from two dimensional views are stored as the object is rotated on the turntable about a fixed axis. The data is sufficient upon completion of one revolution to construct a transparent three dimensional image of the object. A positioning encoding arrangement adjusts for variations in the object's mass density to optimize scan-compute times while enhancing image resolution.

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Solon, OH, United States of America

William K McCroskey