Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7601966?dq=7,136,842
Timestamp: 2017-09-25 01:14:01
Document Index: 747832675

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 158442', 'Application No. 154323', 'Application No. 10', 'Application No. 03810570', 'Application No. 02716285', 'Application No. 0']

Patent US7601966 - Imaging techniques for reducing blind spots - Google Patents
An imaging system is provided for radioimaging a region of interest (ROI) of a subject. The system includes a housing, a support structure, which is movably coupled to the housing, and at least one motor assembly, coupled to the housing and the support structure, and configured to move the support structure...http://www.google.com/patents/US7601966?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7601966 - Imaging techniques for reducing blind spots
Publication number US7601966 B2
Application number US 11/769,826
Also published as US7838838, US20080001090, US20100001200
Publication number 11769826, 769826, US 7601966 B2, US 7601966B2, US-B2-7601966, US7601966 B2, US7601966B2
Inventors Shlomo Ben-Haim, Haim Melman, Michael Nagler, Benny Rousso, Yoel Zilberstien, Sajed Haj-Yahya
Patent Citations (101), Non-Patent Citations (97), Referenced by (9), Classifications (4), Legal Events (7)
US 7601966 B2
1. An imaging system for performing radiological imaging of a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, the system comprising:
at least two detector assemblies, fixed to the support structure, and comprising respective radiation detectors and angular orientators; and
a control unit, which is configured to perform a radiological imaging procedure by
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the support structure are configured such that, throughout the procedure, a furthest distance of all of the detectors from a center of the ROI throughout the procedure is less than 120% of a closest distance of all of the detectors from the center of the ROI.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least two detector assemblies comprise at least five detector assemblies.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to drive the motor assembly to position the support structure such that at least one of the detectors moves at least 30 mm during the procedure.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises exactly one motor assembly, which comprises exactly one motor.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotational orientations includes at least 30 rotational orientations, and wherein the control unit is configured to drive the orientators to orient the respective detectors in the at least 30 rotational orientations while the support structure is positioned in each of the plurality of positions.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions includes exactly two positions, and wherein the control unit is configured to drive the motor to position the support structure in the two positions during two respective portions of the procedure.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions includes exactly three positions, and wherein the control unit is configured to drive the motor to position the support structure in the three positions during three respective portions of the procedure.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is generally L-shaped.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is substantially rigid.
11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the motor assembly comprises:
a linear stepper motor;
a first pivoting post, which is coupled to the support structure; and
a second pivoting post, which is coupled to the housing.
12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the motor assembly comprises a position encoder configured to generate a position signal, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine, responsively to the position signal, respective positions of the detectors with respect to the ROI.
13. The system according to claim 1, wherein none of the detector assemblies comprises a position sensor.
14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing and support structure are configured such that, during the radiological imaging procedure, the support structure moves generally around an axis which is perpendicular to a plane defined by the detectors and passes through the ROI.
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to perform a SPECT radioimaging procedure.
16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the radiation detectors are configured to detect photons.
17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is configured to move with respect to the housing by sliding.
18. A method for performing radiological imaging of a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, the method comprising performing a radiological imaging procedure by:
driving at least one motor assembly to, during a plurality of portions of the procedure, position a support structure in a respective plurality of positions with respect to a housing to which the support structure is movably coupled, which support structure is coupled to at least two radiation detectors; and
while the support structure is positioned in each of the plurality of positions, driving orientators to orient the detectors in a plurality of rotational orientations with respect to the ROI, and, using the detectors, detecting radiation from the ROI at least a portion of the rotational orientations.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure comprises driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure such that, throughout the procedure, a furthest distance of all of the detectors from a center of the ROI throughout the procedure is less than 120% of a closest distance of all of the detectors from the center of the ROI.
20. The method according to claim 18, wherein driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure comprises driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure such that at least one of the detectors moves at least 30 mm during the procedure.
21. The method according to claim 18, wherein driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure comprises driving exactly one motor to position the support structure.
22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of rotational orientations includes at least 30 rotational orientations, and wherein driving orientators to orient the detectors comprises driving orientators to orient the detectors in the at least 30 rotational orientations while the support structure is positioned in each of the plurality of positions.
23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of positions includes exactly two or exactly three positions, and wherein driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure comprises driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure in the exactly two or exactly three positions, respectively, during two or three respective portions of the procedure, respectively.
24. The method according to claim 18, wherein driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure comprises detecting the positions of the support structure, and, responsively to the detected positions, determining respective positions of the detectors with respect to the ROI.
25. The method according to claim 18, wherein driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure comprises driving the at least one motor assembly to move the support structure generally around an axis which is perpendicular to a plane defined by the detectors and passes through the ROI.
26. The method according to claim 18, wherein performing the radiological imaging procedure comprises performing a SPECT radioimaging procedure.
27. An imaging system for imaging a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, the system comprising:
at least one detector assembly, which comprises:
28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the first detector has a longitudinal length, and wherein the control unit is configured to position the detector assembly in the first and second longitudinal positions such that a longitudinal distance between the first and second longitudinal positions equals between 0.8 and 1.2 times the longitudinal length of the first detector.
29. The system according to claim 27, comprising at least one motor, wherein the control unit is configured to position the detector assembly by driving the at least one motor to move the ROI with respect to the detector assembly.
30. The system according to claim 27, wherein the detector assembly comprises at least third and fourth detectors, coupled to the first and second axial supports, respectively, such that both the first and third detectors are completely longitudinally offset from both the second and fourth detectors, and the second detector is positioned longitudinally between the first and third detectors.
31. An imaging system for performing radiological imaging of a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, the system comprising:
at least two detector assemblies, which comprise respective radiation detectors and angular orientators;
a support structure, to which the detector assemblies are coupled, which support structure is coupled to the housing such that the support structure is movable generally around an axis which is perpendicular to a plane defined by the detectors;
at least one motor assembly, which is coupled to the housing and the support structure, and which is configured to move the support structure with respect to the housing and generally around the axis; and
while the support structure is positioned in each of the plurality of positions, driving the orientators to orient the detectors with respect to the ROI.
32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the axis passes through the ROI, and wherein the support structure is movable generally around the axis that passes through the ROI.
33. The system according to claim 31, wherein the system is configured to perform a SPECT radioimaging procedure.
34. An imaging system for performing radiological imaging of a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, the system comprising:
at least two detector assemblies, coupled to the support structure, and comprising respective radiation detectors and orientators; and
driving the motor assembly to move the support structure with respect to the housing during the procedure, and
driving the orientators to orient the detectors with respect to the ROI.
35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the housing and support structure are configured such that, during the radiological imaging procedure, the support structure moves generally around an axis which is perpendicular to a plane defined by the detectors.
36. The system according to claim 34, wherein the plane passes through the ROI, and wherein the housing and support structure are configured such that, during the radiological imaging procedure, the support structure moves generally around the axis which is perpendicular to the plane that passes through the ROI.
37. The system according to claim 34, wherein the orientators comprise angular orientators, and wherein the orientators are configured to rotationally orient the detectors.
38. The system according to claim 34, wherein support structure is configured to move with respect to the housing by sliding.
39. A method for performing radiological imaging of a region of interest (ROI) of a subject, the method comprising performing a radiological imaging procedure by:
driving at least one motor assembly to move a support structure with respect to a housing to which the support structure is movably coupled, which support structure is coupled to at least two radiation detectors;
driving orientators to orient the detectors with respect to the ROI; and
using the detectors, detecting radiation from the ROI.
40. The method according to claim 39, wherein driving the at least one motor assembly comprises driving the at least one motor assembly to move the support structure generally around an axis which is perpendicular to a plane defined by the detectors.
41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the axis passes through the ROI, and wherein driving the at least one motor assembly comprises driving the at least one motor assembly to move the support structure generally around the axis that passes through the ROI.
42. The method according to claim 39, wherein driving the at least one motor assembly comprises driving the at least one motor assembly to position the support structure in a plurality of positions with respect to the housing during a respective plurality of portions of the procedure, and wherein driving the orientators comprises driving the orientators comprises driving the orientators to orient the detectors with respect to the ROI while the support structure is positioned in each of the plurality of positions.
43. The method according to claim 39, wherein performing the radiological imaging procedure comprises performing a SPECT radioimaging procedure.
44. The method according to claim 39, wherein the orientators are angular orientators, and wherein driving the orientators comprises driving the angular orientators to rotationally orient the detectors.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/816,970, filed Jun. 28, 2006, entitle “Imaging techniques for reducing blind spots,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,743 to DeVito et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a tomographic imaging system which images ionizing radiation such as gamma rays or x rays. The system is described as being capable of producing tomographic images without requiring an orbiting motion of the detector(s) or collimator(s) around the object of interest and of observing the object of interest from sufficiently many directions to allow multiple time-sequenced tomographic images to be produced. The system consists of a plurality of detector modules which are distributed about or around the object of interest and which filly or partially encircle it. The detector modules are positioned close to the object of interest thereby improving spatial resolution and image quality. The plurality of detectors view a portion of the patient or object of interest simultaneously from a plurality of positions. These attributes are achieved by configuring small modular radiation detector with high-resolution collimators in a combination of application-specific acquisition geometries and non-orbital detector module motion sequences composed of tilting, swiveling and translating motions, and combinations of such motions. Various kinds of module geometry and module or collimator motion sequences are possible. The geometric configurations may be fixed or variable during the acquisition or between acquisition intervals.
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In typical implementations of the imaging system, the detector assemblies are laterally spaced apart from one another because of physical constraints, such as the width and depth of the detectors. Such spacing causes reduced detection of photons emitted from certain areas of the ROI, particularly areas neat the surface of the subject's body, which are near the detectors.
In some embodiments of the present invention, each of the detectors is coupled to a respective translator. During an image acquisition procedure, the control unit drives each of the translators to position its respective detector in a plurality of lateral positions, such as two lateral positions. While each detector is in each of its respective lateral positions, the control unit drives the respective orientator to orient the detector in a plurality of rotational orientations with respect to the ROI. The combination of such lateral translatory motion and rotational motion increases the number of angles from which photons emitted from the ROI are detected particularly in areas of the ROI near the surface of the subject's body.
As a result of this offset arrangement, the detectors are able to be positioned laterally closer to one another than is possible using arrangements having a single elongated detector per angular orientator. However, the assembly has detection gaps in the longitudinal regions of each axial support to which no detector is coupled. To compensate for these gaps, the camera is configured to position the detector assembly in a first longitudinal position with respect to an ROI during a first portion of an image acquisition procedure, and in a second longitudinal position with respect to the ROI during a second portion of the procedure. A longitudinal distance between the first and second longitudinal positions typically equals approximately a longitudinal length of one of the detectors. While the assembly is in each of the longitudinal positions, the control unit drives the orientators to orient their respective detectors in a plurality of rotational orientations with respect to the ROI. As a result the entire ROI opposite the assembly is covered by the assembly in one of its two longitudinal positions with respect to the ROI.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, an imaging system for radioimaging a region of interest (ROI) of a subject the system including:
For some applications, camera 22 utilizes techniques described in the above-mentioned PCT Publications WO 06/051531 and/or: WO 05/119025, and/or in the other co-assigned patent applications and/or patent application publications incorporated herein by reference.
For each of detectors 32, FIG. 2 shows a ray 42, which schematically represents the fill angular range of photon detection of the detector, as determined by the angular orientations in which the detector's orientator 34 orients the detector, and the collimation of the detector. Each ray 42 schematically represents the combination of the plurality of distinct angular orientations at which the corresponding detector is oriented during an imaging procedure. For example, a detector may be oriented at 60 distinct angular orientations, each of which is separated by one degree, with a dwell time of one or two seconds at each orientation, such that the total angular range is 60 degrees, and the total scan time is 60 or 120 seconds, respectively. Alternatively, a detector may be oriented at fewer or greater than 60 distinct angular orientations, which are separated by less or more than one degree, with a dwell time of any number of seconds at each orientation. For some applications, camera 22 is configured to individually set a total angular range of each of detectors 32 responsively to the detector's orientation with respect to ROI 40. For example, techniques may be used that are described in an international patent application filed May 11, 2006, entitled, “Unified management of radiopharmaceuticals dispensing, administration, and imaging,” which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated herein by reference. For some applications, the detector is oriented at each of the distinct angular orientations as the detector sweeps in a single direction. Alternatively, the detector is oriented at only a portion, e.g., half, of the distinct angular orientations as the detector sweeps in a first direction, and the detector is orientated at the remaining distinct angular orientations as the detector sweeps back in a second direction opposite the first direction.
Reference is again made to FIG. 1. In an embodiment of the present invention, imaging system 10 effects lateral motion of detector assemblies 30 with respect to subject 36 by moving the entire camera 22, or a gantry thereof with respect to the subject. For example, the system may rotate the camera, or a gantry thereof, e.g., about an axis 60 that passes through a curved region 62 of the camera and is generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of detector assemblies 30 (and with a longitudinal axis of subject 36 in a vicinity of the ROI). Alternatively, the system moves, e.g., rotates, subject 36 with respect to the camera, which remains stationary.
For some applications, at a first point in time of an imaging procedure, a first detector assembly is positioned at a first initial detector assembly lateral position, and a second detector assembly neighboring the first detector assembly is positioned at a second initial detector assembly lateral position. The control unit moves the support structure such that, at one or more second points in time, the first detector assembly assumes one or more respective intermediate positions between the first initial detector assembly lateral position and the second initial detector assembly lateral position, typically not reaching the second initial detector assembly lateral position. For example, for applications in which the support structure is placed for imaging at exactly two support structure lateral positions during the imaging procedure, the control unit may move the support structure such that: (a) when the support structure is positioned at a first of the exactly two support structure lateral positions, the first detector assembly is positioned at the first initial detector assembly lateral position, and (b) when the support structure is positioned at a second of the exactly two support structure lateral positions, the first detector assembly is positioned at an intermediate location between 40% and 60% of the distance between the first and second initial detector assembly lateral positions, e g., 50%. Similarly, for applications in which the support structure is placed for imaging at exactly three support structure lateral positions during the imaging procedure, the two intermediate positions are typically between 23% and 43% (e.g., 33.3%), and 57% and 77% (e.g., 66.7%), respectively, of the distance between the first and second initial detector assembly lateral positions.
For some applications, the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 4A-6 arc practiced with techniques described herein with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A-3B, and/or 7A-B, mutatis mutandis. For example, the lateral and angular motion patterns described hereinabove with reference to FIG. 2 are typically used.
The use of the single-support frame configuration of the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 4A-6 enables the use of a single motor assembly for simultaneously positioning all of detector assemblies 30 at precise locations with respect to each other and a coordinate system of camera 22. The use of the linear position encoder enables precise determination of all of the detector assemblies without requiring separate position sensors for each detector assembly.
Reference is made to FIGS. 7A-B, which are schematic illustrations of a detector assembly 100, in accordance with respective embodiments of the present invention. Imaging system 10 comprises at least one detector assembly 100, which comprises two axial supports 110A and 110B, which are coupled to respective angular orientators 112A and 112B. The assembly further comprises one or more detectors 114A coupled to axial support 110A, and one or more detectors. 114B coupled to axial support 110B. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A, assembly 100 comprises two detectors 114A and two detectors 114B, and in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7B, the assembly comprises a single detector 114A and a single detector 114B. Alternatively, the assembly comprises more than two detectors 114A and more than two detectors 114B.
For some applications in which each of the detectors comprises a plurality of gamma ray sensors, such as a pixelated array of crystals, e.g., CZT crystals, each of the detectors comprises a square array of pixels, e.g., a 16×16 array, as shown in FIG. 7A. For these applications, assembly 100 may comprise, for example, two detectors 114A and two detectors 114B. Alternatively, for some applications, each of the arrays comprises a rectangular array of pixels, for example, an array having a longitudinal length L that is equal to twice a width W of the array e.g., a 32×16 array, as shown in FIG. 7B. Further alternatively, the ratio of the length L to the width W is greater than 2:1, such as 4:1, e.g., a 64×16 array (configuration not shown).
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