Patent ID: 7767972

Claim:
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 in a field of view, said system comprising: a detector assembly adjacent the field of view, said detector assembly including a photon-responsive detector is operable to detect if a photon strikes the detector, the detector assembly operable to detect photons emitted from the field of view; a collimating assembly including at least two spaced apart collimating vanes of photon-attenuating material, each of the vanes being disposed between the detector assembly and the field of view; a photon-blocking member disposed between the field of view and the detector, the blocking member having an aperture defined therethrough for passage of photons aligned with the aperture, a line of response being defined from the detector assembly through the aperture; a mask disposed adjacent the detector assembly and between the detector assembly and the field of view, the mask having at least one aperture defined therethrough for passage of photons aligned with the aperture; and a displacement actuator for moving the photon-blocking member relative to the detector assembly such that the aperture is displaced relative to the detector assembly and the line of response is swept across at least a portion of the field of view.