Patent Number: 052934179
Section: abstract

A collimator for use in an imaging system with a radiation point source is formed from a plurality of collimator plates stacked together. Passages in each collimator plate in conjunction with the respective passages in adjoining plates form a plurality of channels through the collimator. The channel longitudinal axes are aligned with selected orientation angles that correspond to the direct beam path from the radiation source to the radiation detectors. The collimator plates are made up of patterned sheets of radiation absorbent material or alternatively comprise patterned photosensitive material substrates coated with a radiation absorbent material. The cross-sectional shape of each channel corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the radiation detecting area of the detector element adjoining the channel. A method of forming a collimator includes the steps of selectively removing material from the collimator plates to form the passages therein, and stacking the patterned collimator plates together to align them so that the respective adjacent passages form a channel aligned with respective selected orientation angles corresponding to direct paths of radiation from the radiation source to the detector elements in the assembled array.