Patent ID: 6420711
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: A61B,G01T,H01L

Abstract:
A positron emission tomography system for imaging a portion of a living organism, said portion treated with a radionuclide, said radionuclide emitting positrons, said emitted positrons creating photon pairs within said portion of said living organism, said system comprising:a plurality of detection system at least partially surrounding said portion of said living organism, wherein said plurality of detection systems are comprised of diametrically opposed detection system pairs, wherein each of said plurality of detection systems is comprised of a hodoscope, each of said hodoscopes comprised of a plurality of position sensitive detectors, wherein a portion of said photons undergo Compton scatters with said detection systems; a multi-channel readout system coupled to said plurality of position sensitive detectors; a processor coupled to said multi-channel readout system, said processor determining track directions and total energies for said portion of said photons; and a monitor coupled to said processor, said monitor displaying an image of said portion of said living organism; said plurality of detection systems further comprising a plurality of calorimeters, said calorimeters positioned proximate an end of portion of each of said hodoscopes.