Patent ID: 7554088
Filing Date: 2009-06-30
Classification: A61B,G01T

Abstract:
1. A method for imaging a body part, the method comprising: providing at least a pair of gamma detectors disposed about and in an adjacent relationship with the body part, so as to detect coincident gamma ray pairs generated by positron annihilation events occurring within the body part, each detector capable of detecting gamma rays emitted by a positron emitting radiopharmaceutical infiltrated into the body part; scanning the detector pair over the body part; detecting coincident gamma ray pairs generated by positron annihilation events occurring within the body part at each scan interval; determining position coordinates of the detector pair with respect to a fixed origin at each scan interval; and utilizing the number of gamma ray pairs detected at each scan interval and the determined coordinates to generate an image indicative of the distribution of positron emitting radiopharmaceutical within the body part, wherein the gamma detectors are of dimensions suitable to be deployed inside a patient's digestive tract.