Patent ID: 6940941

Claim:
An imaging apparatus, comprising: a substantially O-shaped gantry ring having a central opening for positioning around an object to be imaged, the gantry ring having an interior cavity extending 360 degrees around the interior of the gantry ring; a detachable segment of the gantry that provides an opening in the gantry ring through which an object to be imaged may enter and exit the ring in a radical direction; a rigid C-shaped rotor housed within, and rotatable 360 degrees around, the interior cavity of the gantry ring; a drive mechanism secured to the rotor, and adapted to rotate the rotor around the interior of the gantry ring; a source of radiation secured to the rotor at a first position, the source adapted to project radiation onto said object as the source rotates 360 degrees around the interior of the gantry ring; and a detector secured to rotor at a second position, opposite the source on the gantry ring, positioned to detect the projected radiation.