Patent ID: 9606199
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: A61B,G01R,G01T

Claim:
1. A blood sampling system for measuring radioactivity levels in arterial blood of a subject undergoing PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging in a combined PET/MR (Magnetic Resonance) apparatus, comprising: an MR magnet configured to generate an MR magnetic field; at least one PET detector ring having an outer diameter dimensioned to be received within said MR magnet such that said at least one PET detector ring is concentric with said MR magnet, said at least one PET detector ring and MR magnet forming a PET/MR detector assembly; a patient bed configured to receive a patient to be imaged, said patient bed being positioned within said PET/MR detector assembly; a detector unit including a pair of scintillation crystals; gamma ray shielding surrounding said detector unit; a solid-state photodetector coupled to each of said crystals; a catheter carrying arterial blood from said subject, said catheter passing between said crystals; and a signal processing circuit electrically coupled to said solid-state photodetectors to receive scintillation event signals from said photodetectors and to process outside said MR magnetic field said signals for measurement of radioactivity levels in said subject's blood, wherein outputs from said at least one PET detector ring are sampled and digitized outside of the MR magnetic field; wherein said detector unit is located in the MR magnetic field produced by said PET/MR apparatus.