The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 21, 1989
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1988
Roxanne R Rogers, Houston, TX (US);
Steven B Kirby, Miami, FL (US);
Theodore Simon, Dallas, TX (US);
Sharon Matthiesen, Arlington, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
The present invention teaches a method for uniformly flooding a nuclear imaging device with radiation from a radiation-emitting calibration source and for correcting for the non-uniformity in count density of nuclear imaging sources and apparatus for carrying out the method. The method includes the steps of positioning a nuclear imaging flood source beneath or adjacent a nuclear imaging device such as a gamma camera having a plurality of radiation sensing elements; moving the source in a controlled motion; thereby blurring or diminishing the effects of any non-uniformities in the source. Apparatus for moving the source includes a support for the source and a means for moving the source adjacent to or beneath a camera. Circular motion may be achieved by connecting the support to means for rotating it, such as a motor drive shaft, or by manually rotating it. Other simple motion may be achieved by means which move the source about a simple curve. If complex motion is desired, one embodiment of the apparatus includes a plurality of geared shafts interconnected between the source support and a drive motor. The resultant motion is a complex continuous patterned motion which presents many points on the source to each of a plurality of sensors or detectors in the nuclear imaging device.