Apparatus and implementation method of a set of universal compact portable MR-compatible PET inserts to convert whole-body MRI scanners into organ-specific hybrid PET/MRI imagers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634747-B2
Application number	US-201313827557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A Positron Emission Tomography (“PET”) insert for use with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (“MRI”) scanning device, the PET insert including a plurality of photodetector modules provided adjacent each other in an array, the plurality of photodetector modules configured for placement adjacent a body of a patient and sized to be received in a magnetic bore of the MRI scanning device with the patient, the photodetector modules providing detection of gamma annihilation photons, and a Radio Frequency (“RF”) coil provided between the patient and the plurality of photodetector modules. Each of the plurality of photodetector modules includes a pixelated scintillator array provided for alignment adjacent the patient's body, and a shielding block including silicon photomultiplier pads and passive electronic circuitry only.

First claim

We claim:

1. A universal and portable Positron Emission Tomography (PET″) insert for use with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (“MRI”) scanning device, the PET insert comprising:
a plurality of photodetector modules provided adjacent each other in an array, the plurality of photodetector modules configured for placement adjacent a body of a patient and sized to be received in a magnetic bore of the MRI scanning device with the patient, the photodetector modules providing detection of gamma annihilation photons;
a Radio Frequency (“RF”) coil having a first end and a second end and provided between the patient and the plurality of photodetector modules, wherein each of the plurality of photodetector modules comprises a pixelated scintillator surrounding at least a portion of the patient's body, and a shielding block comprising silicon photomultiplier pads and passive electronic circuitry, and wherein the RF coil is a coil provided with the MRI scanning device with which the PET insert is used;
at least one front end amplifier positioned in said magnetic bore at a distance from said first or said second end of said RF coil, wherein said distance is within a range from 1 inch to 20 inches;
wherein the plurality of photodetector modules comprises a position-encoded, on-board analog readout comprising passive readout electronics wherein individual photodetector modules each have row and column outputs that are passively chained to form X and Y readout sectors in a single panel, wherein said position-encoded on-board analog readout is located in said PET insert and has a reduced number of analog channels exiting said PET insert as compared to a direct readout of each Silicon Photomultiplier pixels or Avalanche Photodiodes of said photodetector modules.

2. The PET insert of claim 1 , wherein each shielding block includes silicon photomultiplier pads and passive electronic circuitry only.

3. The PET insert of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of photodetector modules is formed as a ring for provision about a body part of the patient, and wherein the RF coil is provided about at least part of an annular range of the photodetector module ring.

4. The PET insert of claim 3 , wherein the photodetector module ring comprises a plurality of rings stacked on top of each other forming a cylinder.

5. The PET insert of claim 3 , wherein the photodetector module ring comprises a plurality of rings, at least some of the rings spaced apart from other rings for provision about different parts of a patient's body.

6. The PET insert of claim 1 , wherein active components of the PET insert other than the silicon photomultiplier pads and said at least one front end amplifier, are disposed outside of the magnetic bore of the MRI scanner.

7. The PET insert of claim 1 , wherein the RF coil extends past the edges of the plurality of photodetectors.

8. The PET insert of claim 1 , wherein the RF coil comprises a whole body RF coil.

9. The PET insert of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of photodetector modules is formed as a panel having an N×M array of photodetector modules.

10. The PET insert of claim 9 , wherein the PET insert comprises at least two panels for provision against a patient's body in opposing relationship for imaging a desired portion of the patient's body.

11. The PET insert of claim 9 , further comprising an endorectal PET probe operatively associated with the PET panel.

12. The PET insert of claim 1 , wherein the photodetector modules include a scintillator as a sensor and energy converter of 511 keV annihilation gamma rays, and a photodetector to detect the scintillation light produced by the absorbed gamma rays in the scintillator.

13. A universal and portable Positron Emission Tomography (“PET”) insert for use with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (“MRI”) scanning device, the PET insert comprising:
a plurality of photodetector modules provided adjacent each other in an array and formed as a ring for provision around a portion of a patient's body, the photodetector module ring sized to be received in a magnetic bore of the MRI scanning device with the patient, the photodetector modules providing detection of gamma annihilation photons;
a Radio Frequency (“RF”) coil having a first end and a second end and provided between the patient and the plurality of photodetector modules, wherein the RF coil is provided about at least part of an annular range of the photodetector module ring, and wherein the RF coil extends over the edges of the photodetector module ring, wherein each of the plurality of photodetector modules comprises a pixelated scintillator surrounding at least a portion of the patient's body, and a shielding block comprising silicon photomultiplier pads and passive electronic circuitry only and wherein the RF coil is a coil provided with the MRI scanning device with which the PET insert is used; and
at least one front end amplifier positioned in said magnetic bore at a distance from said first or said second end of said RF coil, wherein said distance is within a range from 1 inch to 20 inches;
wherein the plurality of photodetector modules comprises a position-encoded, on-board analog readout comprising passive readout electronics wherein individual photodetector modules each have row and column outputs that are passively chained to form X and Y readout sectors in a single panel, wherein said position-encoded on-board analog readout is located in said PET insert and has a reduced number of analog channels exiting said PET insert as compared to a direct readout of each Silicon Photomultiplier pixels or Avalanche Photodiodes of said photodetector modules.

14. The PET insert of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector module ring comprises a plurality of rings stacked on top of each other forming a cylinder.

15. The PET insert of claim 13 , wherein the photodetector module ring comprises a plurality of rings, at least some of the rings spaced apart from other rings for provision about different parts of a patient's body.

16. A universal and portable Positron Emission Tomography (“PET”) insert for use with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (“MRI”) scanning device, the PET insert comprising:
a plurality of photodetector modules provided adjacent each other in an array and formed as at least two panels for provision against a patient's body in opposing relationship for imaging a desired portion of the patient's body, the at least two photodetector module panels sized to be received in a magnetic bore of the MRI scanning device with the patient, the photodetector modules providing detection of gamma annihilation photons;
a Radio Frequency (“RF”) coil having a first end and a second end and provided between the patient and the plurality of photodetector modules of each of the at least two panels, wherein the RF coil extends over the edges of the at least two photodetector module panels, wherein each of the plurality of photodetector modules comprises a pixelated scintillator array for surrounding at least a portion of the patient's body, and a shielding block comprising silicon photomultiplier pads and passive electronic circuitry only, and wherein the RF coil is a coil provided with the MRI scanning device with which the PET insert is used; and
at least one front end amplifier positioned in said magnetic bore at a distance from said first or said second end of said RF coil, wherein said distance is within a range from 1 inch to 20 inches;
wherein the plurality of photodetector modules comprises a position-encoded, on-board analog readout comprising passive readout electronics wherein individual photodetector modules each have row and

Assignees

• Univ West Virginia

Inventors

• Majewski Stanislaw
• Proffitt James
• Lewis James
• Brefczynski-Lewis Julie
• Stolin Alexander

Classifications

• A61B6/501

  for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography · CPC title

• G01T1/1603

  with a combination of at least two different types of detectors · CPC title

• G01R33/481 Primary

  MR combined with positron emission tomography [PET] or single photon emission computed tomography [SPECT] · CPC title

• A61B6/4417

  related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities · 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