Spatial resolution in molecular and radiological imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10517546-B2
Application number	US-201816016716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A method and apparatus for improvement of spatial resolution in molecular and radiological imaging is presented. System equipment includes bed with either flat or cylindrical detectors large detector arrays with collimator(s), lens(s), mirror(s) and/or shutter(s). This system utilizes magnification principles with large detector arrays. There is error reduction by reduction of non-collinearity error as seen in current PET scans by determination of the trajectory of the photons and accurate localization of the annihilation event of a positron. Additional error reduction of random coincidence and scatter coincidence is seen. Overall, this method and apparatus affords improved spatial resolution and higher efficiencies, which would allow for lower cost and dose reduction to the patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for radiographic imaging used in conjunction with an x-ray tube for the detection of X-rays, the apparatus comprising:
a collimator in a cylindrical device through which photons emitted from a radionuclide or radiopharmaceutical pass;
a mirror used to redirect the photons, said mirror in communication with said collimator;
a lens system through which the photons pass and are magnified and spread over a larger detector area, said lens system in communication with said collimator;
a shutter system for selection of an angle of said photons, said shutter system in communication with said collimator;
a detector array having a plurality of detectors wherein a first detector of said detector array abuts a second detector of said detector array, said detector array in communication with said lens system, said detector array configured to accommodate a magnified area which receives the photons; and
a processor providing additional processing based on photon intercepts on the detector array to reduce image errors.

Assignees

• Douglas David Byron
• Douglas Robert E

Inventors

• Douglas David Byron
• Douglas Robert E

Classifications

• A61B6/4291

  the detector being combined with a grid or grating · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• A61B6/4417

  related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities · CPC title

• A61B6/5282

  due to scatter · CPC title

• G01T1/2985

  In depth localisation, e.g. using positron emitters; Tomographic imaging (longitudinal and transverse section imaging; apparatus for radiation diagnosis sequentially in different planes, steroscopic radiation diagnosis); (using external radiation sources A61B6/02) · CPC title