Inclined pet device and pet combined device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538964-B2
Application number	US-201114113334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2011
Priority date	May 30, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An inclined PET device is provided in which the cut plane of a detector ring upon which a plurality of PET detectors are disposed is inclined so that it does not intersect perpendicularly with the long axis of a bed that carries a subject to be examined and in which an open space that passes through the bed in a direction perpendicular to the long axis thereof is formed, in order to enable access to the subject to be examined. The PET detectors are disposed and stacked in a direction parallel to the long axis of the bed. Thereby, the number of PET detectors is reduced and device cost is reduced, while the detector ring as well as the device can be miniaturized. At the same time, the open space that passes through the bed in a direction perpendicular to the long axis can be preserved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inclined PET device comprising:
a detector ring; and
a plurality of PET detectors disposed in the detector ring, edges of the detector ring being inclined at an angle oblique to a vertical axis perpendicular to a long axis of a bed for an examination subject, when viewed in a direction corresponding to a horizontal axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed;
wherein:
none of the PET detectors on opposite portions of the detector ring on either side of the bed overlap in a direction corresponding to the vertical axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, when viewed in the direction corresponding to the horizontal axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed;
an open space with width for access is formed between the opposite portions of the detector ring on either side of the bed, the open space being formed in the direction corresponding to the vertical axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, when viewed in the direction corresponding to the horizontal axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, the open space enabling access to the examination subject, and the open space passing through the bed in the direction corresponding to the vertical axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, when viewed in the direction corresponding to the horizontal axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed; and
the respective PET detectors are disposed and stacked in a direction parallel to the long axis of the bed.

2. The inclined PET device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector ring is configured to be rotatable according to a direction of the access to the examination subject.

3. The inclined PET device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector ring is configured to be movable according to a position of the access to the examination subject.

4. The inclined PET device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector ring is configured to be rotated according to a horizontal rotation of the bed.

5. The inclined PET device according to claim 1 , further comprising a robot arm, the detector ring being supported by the robot arm.

6. The inclined PET device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector ring includes unit rings in which the PET detectors are disposed in an elliptical configuration or a polygonal configuration, the unit rings being stacked in the direction parallel to the long axis of the bed.

7. The inclined PET device according to claim 6 , wherein the unit rings are disposed stepwise.

8. The inclined PET device according to claim 6 , wherein a cut plane of the detector ring is configured to be rotatable to a position perpendicular to the long axis of the bed.

9. The inclined PET device according to claim 6 , wherein the unit rings each are configured to be capable of parallel movement to a mutually coincident position.

10. The inclined PET device according to claim 8 , wherein the unit rings each are configured to be capable of parallel movement in synchronization with a rotation of the unit rings.

11. The inclined PET device according to claim 1 , further comprising detector units in which the plurality of the PET detectors are disposed in the direction of the long axis of the bed, the detector units being shifted little by little in the direction of the long axis of the bed so that the respective PET detectors are disposed and stacked in the direction parallel to the long axis of the bed.

12. The inclined PET device according to claim 11 , wherein the detector units are configured to shift by variable amounts.

13. The inclined PET device according to claim 11 , wherein main axes of the respective PET detectors are inclined according to amounts of shift of the detector units so that main axes are directed to a center point of the detector ring.

14. A PET combined device comprising:
the inclined PET device according to claim 1 ; and
a second device that performs a treatment or an examination in the open space of the inclined PET device.

15. The PET combined device according to claim 14 , wherein the second device is a radiation therapy device.

16. The PET combined device according to claim 14 , wherein the second device is a particle beam therapy device.

17. The PET combined device according to claim 14 , wherein the second device is an X-ray transmission device.

18. The PET combined device according to claim 14 , wherein the inclined PET device and the second device are integrally moved or rotated without interference with each other.

19. The PET combined device according to claim 14 , wherein at least part of the second device is supported by the detector ring of the inclined PET device.

20. An inclined PET device comprising:
a detector ring; and
a plurality of PET detectors disposed in the detector ring, a cut plane of the detector ring being obliquely inclined so as not to intersect perpendicularly with a long axis of a bed that carries a subject to be examined,
wherein:
none of the PET detectors on opposite portions of the detector ring on either side of the bed overlap in at least one direction perpendicular to the long axis of the bed;
an open space with width for access is formed between the opposite portions of the detector ring in the at least one direction perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, the open space enabling access to the subject to be examined, the open space passing through the bed in the at least one direction perpendicular to the long axis thereof, and the open space being disposed in a direction that is the same as a direction of the access to the subject to be examined; and
the respective PET detectors are disposed and stacked in a direction parallel to the long axis of the bed.

21. An inclined PET device comprising:
a detector ring; and
a plurality of PET detectors disposed in the detector ring, edges of the detector ring being inclined at an angle oblique to a first axis perpendicular to a long axis of a bed for an examination subject, when viewed in a direction corresponding to a second axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed;
wherein:
none of the PET detectors on opposite portions of the detector ring on either side of the bed overlap in a direction corresponding to the first axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, when viewed in the direction corresponding to the second axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed;
an open space with width for access is formed between the opposite portions of the detector ring on either side of the bed, the open space being formed in the direction corresponding to the first axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, when viewed in the direction corresponding to the second axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, the open space enabling access to the examination subject, and the open space passing through the bed in the direction corresponding to the first axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed, when viewed in the direction corresponding to the second axis perpendicular to the long axis of the bed; and
the respective PET detectors are disposed and stacked in a direction parallel to the long axis of the bed.

22. The inclined PET device according to claim 21 , wherein the first axis is a horizontal axis and the second axis is a vertical axis.

Assignees

• Yamaya Taiga
• Tashima Hideaki
• Watanabe Mitsuo
• Tanaka Eiichi
• Nat Inst For Quantum And Radiological Science And Tech
• Hamamatsu Photonics Kk

Inventors

• Yamaya Taiga
• Tashima Hideaki
• Watanabe Mitsuo
• Tanaka Eiichi

Classifications

• A61N2005/1052

  using positron emission tomography [PET] single photon emission computer tomography [SPECT] imaging · 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

• A61B6/4447

  Tiltable gantries · CPC title

• A61B6/4275

  using a detector unit almost surrounding the patient, e.g. more than 180° · CPC title

• A61N5/1077

  Beam delivery systems · CPC title