Detector modules for single photon emission computed tomography imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024272311-A1
Application number	US-202318169871-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 15, 2023
Priority date	Feb 15, 2023
Publication date	Aug 15, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A detector module for single SPECT may be provided. The detector module may include a semi-monolithic crystal and a plurality of SiPM photodetectors forming a photodetector array. The semi-monolithic crystal may include a plurality of monolithic crystal plates configured to receive gamma rays. The plurality of monolithic crystal plates may be arranged side by side along a thickness direction of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates. The photodetector array may include a plurality of columns arranged side by side along the thickness direction of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates. Each monolithic crystal plate may be in optical communication with one or more columns of SiPM photodetectors in the photodetector array, and the one or more columns of SiPM photodetectors may be configured to detect scintillation light produced by gamma ray interactions in the monolithic crystal plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A detector module for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), comprising:
a semi-monolithic crystal including a plurality of monolithic crystal plates configured to receive gamma rays, the plurality of monolithic crystal plates being arranged side by side along a thickness direction of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates; and a plurality of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photodetectors forming a photodetector array, the photodetector array including a plurality of columns arranged side by side along the thickness direction of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates, wherein for each of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates, the monolithic crystal plate is in optical communication with one or more columns of SiPM photodetectors in the photodetector array, and the one or more columns of SiPM photodetectors are configured to detect scintillation light produced by gamma ray interactions in the monolithic crystal plate.

2 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein the detector module is electronically connected to a processing device, and the processing device is configured to:
receive, from one or more target columns of SiPM photodetectors in the photodetector array that are in optical communication with a target monolithic crystal plate among the plurality of monolithic crystal plates, readout signals; and determine, based on the readout signals, that a target gamma ray interaction occurs in the target monolithic crystal plate.

3 . The detector module of claim 2 , wherein the one or more target columns of SiPM photodetectors include a plurality of rows arranged along a length direction of the target monolithic crystal plate, and the processing device is further configured to:
determine, based on the readout signals, a total signal intensity detected by each row of the plurality of rows; and determine, based on the total signal intensity received by each row of the plurality of rows, position information of the target gamma ray interaction in the target monolithic crystal plate.

4 . The detector module of claim 3 , wherein to determine, based on the total signal intensity received by each row of the plurality of rows, position information of the target gamma ray interaction in the target monolithic crystal plate, the processing device is configured to:
determine, based on the total signal intensity received by each row of the plurality of rows, a signal intensity distribution in the plurality of rows; and determine, based on the signal intensity distribution, at least one of first position information or second position information, the first position information relating to the position of the target gamma ray interaction along the length direction of the target monolithic crystal plate, and the second position information relating to the position of the target gamma ray interaction along a depth direction of the target monolithic crystal plate.

5 . The detector module of claim 4 , wherein to determine, based on the signal intensity distribution, at least one of first position information or second position information, the processing device is configured to:
determine the at least one of the first position information or the second position information by processing the signal intensity distribution using a position information determination model.

6 . The detector module of claim 5 , wherein the position information determination model is generated by a model training process comprising:
obtaining a plurality of training samples each of which includes a sample signal intensity distribution corresponding to a sample gamma ray interaction and reference position information of the sample gamma ray interaction; and generating the position information determination model by training a preliminary model using the plurality of training samples.

7 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein the detector module further includes a light guide disposed between the semi-monolithic crystal and the photodetector array, and configured to guide the scintillation light from the semi-monolithic crystal to the photodetector array.

8 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein a material of the semi-monolithic crystal includes at least one of cesium iodide (CsI) or sodium iodide (NaI).

9 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of each of at least a portion of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates is smaller than 1.3 millimeters.

10 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein a distance between adjacent monolithic crystal plates among the plurality of monolithic crystal plates is smaller than 0.1 millimeters.

11 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein a size of each column in the photodetector array along the thickness direction of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates is greater than a thickness of the monolithic crystal plate being in optical communication with the each column.

12 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein a signal readout sampling rate of each of the plurality of SiPM photodetectors is in a range from 20 MHz to 150 MHz.

13 . The detector module of claim 1 , wherein a range of energy that the detector module focuses on is a range from 20 kev to 1000 kev.

14 . A single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) device, comprising:
a detector module configured to detect photons, wherein the detector module includes:
a semi-monolithic crystal including a plurality of monolithic crystal plates configured to receive gamma rays, the plurality of monolithic crystal plates being arranged side by side along a thickness direction of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates; and
a plurality of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photodetectors forming a photodetector array, the photodetector array including a plurality of columns arranged side by side along the thickness direction of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates, wherein
for each of the plurality of monolithic crystal plates, the monolithic crystal plate is in optical communication with one or more columns of SiPM photodetectors in the photodetector array, and the one or more columns of SiPM photodetectors are configured to detect scintillation light produced by gamma ray interactions in the monolithic crystal plate; and

a collimator configured to limit a range of photons entering the detector module.

15 . The SPECT device of claim 14 , wherein the detector module is electronically connected to a processing device, and the processing device is configured to:
receive, from one or more target columns of SiPM photodetectors in the photodetector array that are in optical communication with a target monolithic crystal plate among the plurality of monolithic crystal plates, readout signals; and determine, based on the readout signals, that a target gamma ray interaction occurs in the target monolithic crystal plate.

16 . The SPECT device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more target columns of SiPM photodetectors include a plurality of rows arranged along a length direction of the target monolithic crystal plate, and the processing device is further configured to:
determine, based on the readout signals, a total signal intensity detected by each row of the plurality of rows; and determine, based on the total signal intensity received by each row of the plurality of rows, position information of the target gamma ray interaction in the target monolithic crystal plate.

17 . The SPECT device of claim 14 , wherein to determine, based on the total signal intensity received by each row of the plurality of rows,

Assignees

• Uih America Inc

Inventors

• Li Hongdi
• Lu Zhenrui

Classifications

• G01T1/249

  specially adapted for use in SPECT or PET (SPECT imaging G01T1/1642; PET imaging G01T1/2985; detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects G01V5/20) · CPC title

• G01T1/248

  Silicon photomultipliers [SiPM], e.g. an avalanche photodiode [APD] array on a common Si substrate · CPC title

• G01T1/1642

  using a scintillation crystal and position sensing photodetector arrays, e.g. ANGER cameras · CPC title

• G01T1/2985 Primary

  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

• A61B6/4258

  for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation (A61B6/037 takes precedence) · CPC title