Patent ID: 6310349
Filing Date: 2001-10-30
Classification: A61B,G01T

Abstract:
An apparatus connected to a gamma camera for detecting position and energy information of each one of a plurality of incoming signals received by said gamma camera, without pile-up of previous ones of said plurality of incoming signals, comprising:a first delay circuit connected to receive a first incoming signal from said gamma camera, said first delay circuit passing said first incoming signal from an input to an output of said first delay circuit after a first time delay;a second delay circuit connected to receive a second incoming signal from said gamma camera, said second delay circuit passing said second incoming signal from an input to an output of said second delay circuit after a second time delay;a third delay circuit connected to receive a third incoming signal from said gamma camera, said third delay circuit for passing said third incoming signal from an input to an output of said third delay circuit after a third time delay;a trigger circuit connected to receive said third incoming signal from said gamma camera, said trigger circuit generating a triggering signal and a timing mark upon receipt of a next third incoming signal at said trigger circuit;first, second and third computation circuits, each of said computation circuits connected to receive an output of a respective one of said first, second, and third delay circuits, each of said computation circuits determining a respective weighted value for each of said first, second, and third incoming signals;first, second and third sampling circuits, each of said sampling circuits connected to receive a respective one of said first, second, and third weighted values, said sampling circuits passing said respective weighted value upon receipt of said triggering signal; anda digital signal processor connected to receive said first, second, and third weighted values, said digital signal processor subtracting residual signal values corresponding to residual weighted values of previous ones of said first, second, and third incoming signals, said digital signal processor providing an output signal corresponding to a position value of said first and second incoming signals and an energy value of said third incoming signal.