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:
Aug. 07, 2012
Filed:
May. 22, 2008
Tshilidzi Marwala, Douglasdale, ZA;
David Milton Rubin, Lower Houghton, ZA;
David Mark Starfield, Victory Park, ZA;
Tshilidzi Marwala, Douglasdale, ZA;
David Milton Rubin, Lower Houghton, ZA;
David Mark Starfield, Victory Park, ZA;
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Johannesburg, ZA;
Abstract
This invention relates to a coded aperture mask for use in diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging. The coded aperture mask consists of a sheet of radiation opaque mask material having a series of apertures extending therethrough. The thickness of mask material has an attenuation percentage of less than 75% and, in a preferred embodiment, about equal to 29%. The coded aperture mask also, in a preferred embodiment, has a lead attenuation tube and has a projection of the smallest hole occupying the same area as a single pixel of a detector. The invention extends to a diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging system which uses a 16 bit gamma camera as a radiation detector.