Integrated PET/MRI scanner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9510797-B2
Application number	US-201013880842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2010
Priority date	Oct 25, 2010
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

In the integrated PET/MRI scanner provided with an RF coil for MRI and a plurality of PET detectors in the measuring port of the MRI scanner, the PET detectors are disposed with spaces therebetween and at least the transmitting coil elements of the RF coil for MRI are disposed between adjacent PET detectors. Here, the PET detectors are disposed in the circumferential direction of the measuring port with spaces therebetween and the transmitting coil elements are disposed in the axial direction of the measuring port. Alternatively, at least some of the PET detectors are disposed in the axial direction of the measuring port with spaces therebetween and the transmitting coil elements are disposed between adjacent PET detectors. The PET detectors can be DOI-type detectors capable of detecting position in the depth direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated PET/MRI scanner comprising an RF coil for MRI and a plurality of PET detectors in a measuring port of an MRI scanner, wherein
the RF coil for MRI is divided into a transmitting coil element and a receiving coil element,
the PET detectors are disposed with spaces therebetween and the transmitting coil element of the RF coil for MRI is disposed between adjacent PET detectors,
wherein, with respect to the measuring port, a radially-inner most end of the receiving coil element of the RF coil for MRI is located further radially inward than a radially-inner most end of the PET detectors,
each PET detector includes a combination of a scintillator that senses radiation and emits light and a light receiving element that senses the light emitted from the scintillator and converts the sensed light into an electrical signal, and
wherein, with respect to the measuring port, a radially inner-most end of the scintillator of each PET detector is located further radially inward than a radially inner-most end of the transmitting coil element.

2. An integrated PET/MRI scanner comprising an RF coil for MRI and a plurality of PET detectors in a measuring port of an MRI scanner, wherein
the PET detectors are disposed with spaces therebetween and at least a coil element of the RF coil for MRI is disposed between adjacent PET detectors,
each PET detector includes a radio wave shield, and with respect to the measuring port, a radially inner-most end of the coil element is located further radially inward than a radially inner-most end of the radio wave shield,
each PET detector further includes a combination of a scintillator that senses radiation and emits light and a light receiving element that senses the light emitted from the scintillator and converts the sensed light into an electrical signal, and with respect to the measuring port, the scintillator is disposed further radially inward than the light receiving element,
wherein the radio wave shield of each PET detector is disposed on non-light-receiving sides of the light receiving element rather than on the scintillator such that an outer periphery of the scintillator has no radio wave shield to cover the scintillator, and
with respect to the measuring port, a radially inner-most end of the scintillator of each PET detector is disposed further radially inward than the radially inner-most end of the coil element.

3. The integrated PET/MRI scanner according to claim 2 , wherein
the RF coil for MRI includes a transmitting coil and the coil element is a transmitting coil element.

4. The integrated PET/MRI scanner according to claim 2 , wherein
each PET detector further includes a second radio wave shield disposed between the scintillator and the light receiving element.

5. The integrated PET/MRI scanner according to claim 2 , wherein
each PET detector further includes a front end circuit, and wherein the radio wave shield of each PET detector is disposed so as to shield substantially only the light receiving element and the front end circuit.

Assignees

• Yamaya Taiga
• Nishikido Fumihiko
• Obata Takayuki
• Suga Mikio
• Saito Kazuyuki
• Watanabe Mitsuo
• Tanaka Eiichi
• Nat Inst Of Radiological Sicences
• Hamamatsu Photonics Kk

Inventors

• Yamaya Taiga
• Nishikido Fumihiko
• Obata Takayuki
• Suga Mikio
• Saito Kazuyuki
• Watanabe Mitsuo
• Tanaka Eiichi

Classifications

• G01R33/481

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

• G01R33/34076

  Birdcage coils · CPC title

• G01T1/1603

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

• A61B6/5247

  combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound · CPC title

• A61B6/501

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