Patent ID: 6718006
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
A coincidence transmission source for accomplishing attenuation data collection relative to coincident activity from a radiation source associated with a tomograph device having at least one imaging detector positioned to define a field of view, said coincidence transmission source comprising:a plurality of radiation point sources positioned with respect to the tomography device such that gamma radiation therefrom illuminates at least one imaging detector on the tomography device; a plurality of collimators, each of said plurality of collimators receiving one of said plurality of radiation point sources and being positioned with respect to the tomography device such that a selected portion of the at least one imaging detector of the tomography device is illuminated by said radiation point source, thereby eliminating events unrelated to said attenuation data, said collimator defining an opening for exposing said radiation source to the selected portion of the at least one imaging detector of the tomograph device, said opening defining a top shield wall and a bottom shield wall, said top shield wall extending from said radiation source toward a far portion of the at least one imaging detector opposite said coincidence transmission source, said bottom shield wall extending toward a near portion of the at least one imaging detector opposite said coincidence transmission source, said opening further defining a pair of side shield walls spaced apart to limit a width of a collimated radiation beam emitted from said radiation source toward the selected portion of the at least one imaging detector; a plurality of attenuation detectors, one each of said plurality of attenuation detectors being associated with one of said plurality of radiation point sources and one of said plurality of collimators for collecting attenuation data relative to said radiation point source in time coincidence with data collected by each imaging detector, said attenuation detector being independent from the at least one imaging detector; and a plurality of optical detectors, each of said plurality of attenuation detectors being optically coupled to at least one of said plurality of optical detectors, each of said plurality of optical detectors being optically coupled to a subset of said plurality of said attenuation detectors, said plurality of optical detectors being less than said plurality of attenuation detectors.