Patent ID: 9575192
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: G01T

Claim:
1. A PET scanning system comprising: a gantry having an opening for receiving a subject to be scanned; a detector ring positioned to receive gamma rays that emit from the subject, the detector ring comprising a plurality of detector modules, each module comprising: an array of pixelated scintillators, the array comprised of N rows of pixelated scintillators in a first direction and M columns of pixelated scintillators in a second direction that is approximately orthogonal to the first direction, the array having a generally flat top surface and a generally flat bottom surface: a first set of light guides optically coupled to the top surface that accumulate optical signals from the array; and a second set of light guides optically coupled to the bottom surface that accumulate optical signals from the array, the second set of light guides approximately orthogonal to the first set; and a processor coupled to outputs from the first set of light guides and the second set of light guides, the processor configured to determine which pixel in the pixelated scintillator within the array had a gamma ray interact therewith, and its depth of interaction in the pixel, based on the outputs from the first set of light guides that are optically coupled to the top surface of the array of pixelated scintillators, and based on the outputs from the second set of light guides that are optically coupled to the bottom surface of the array of pixelated scintillators.