Patent ID: 7145153

Claim:
A method of obtaining a tomographic image of part of an animal or a part of an animal including a human being or a part of a human being by using radioactive radiation, wherein the animal is at least partly placed into a measuring cavity having an axial axis, the measuring cavity being at least partially surrounded by a cavity wall which is provided with a plurality of pinholes, and wherein behind the pin holes (as viewed from the measuring cavity) detection means are placed, radioactive radiation from a radioactive isotope administered to the animal is detected in a position-related manner by the detection means and data obtained with the detection means are used for the generation of the tomographic image, wherein: the pinholes are at least substantially arranged in a plurality of flat planes which planes are at least substantially parallel and separated in the direction of the axial axis relative to each other wherein the distance between neighboring planes is smaller than the distance between neighboring pinholes within such a plane wherein distance between neighboring planes is at least 1.03, at least 1.05, at least 1.3, more specificallv at least 2, preferably at least 5 or more preferably a least 10 times smaller than the distance between neighboring pinholes within any of such planes; or the pinholes are at least substantially arranged along a helix wherein the pitch of the helix is generally smaller than the distance between neighboring pinholes laying on the helix wherein the pitch of the helix is generally at least 1.03, at least 1.05, at least 1.3, more specifically at least 2, preferably at least 5 or more preferably at least 10 times smaller than the distance between neighboring pinholes laying along the helix.