Patent ID: 6525320
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: A61B,G01T

Abstract:
A single photon emission computed tomography system for producing multiple tomographic images of the type representing a three-dimensional distribution of a photon-emitting radioisotope, said system comprising:a base including a patient support for supporting a patient such that a portion of the patient is located in a field of view, a longitudinal axis being defined through said field of view; a detector module adjacent said field of view, said module including a photon-responsive detector, said detector being an elongated strip with a central axis disposed generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said detector being operable to detect if a photon strikes the detector, said detector further being operable to determine a position along the length of said elongated strip where a photon is detected; a photon-blocking member disposed between said field of view and said detector, said blocking member having an aperture slot defined therethrough for passage of photons aligned with said aperture slot, said slot being generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, a line of response being defined from the detector through said aperture; a collimating assembly including at least two spaced apart collimating vanes of photon-attenuating material, said collimating vanes including only vanes that are generally parallel to each other and generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, each of said vanes being disposed between said detector and said field of view; and a displacement actuator for moving one of said detector module and said photon-blocking member relative to the other of said detector and said photon-blocking member such that said aperture is displaced relative to said detector and said line of response is swept across at least a portion of said field of view.