Moving pet gantry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817131-B2
Application number	US-201414584383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus is described herein. The apparatus comprises a first modality unit and a second modality unit. The first modality unit is located within a gantry. The second modality unit within the gantry is moveable along an examination axis to be concentric about with the first modality unit such that a field of view of the first modality unit and a field of view of the second modality unit are centered about a single point of interest.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first modality unit, wherein the first modality unit is located within a gantry, the first modality unit defining a scan plane passing through a detector of the first modality unit; and
a second modality unit within the gantry, the second modality unit defining a field of view (FOV), wherein the second modality unit is moveable along an examination axis such that the FOV of the second modality unit physically aligns with the scan plane of the first modality, and the FOV of the second modality unit and the scan plane of the first modality unit simultaneously physically overlap.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first modality unit is a Computed Tomography (CT) modality unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second modality unit is a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) modality unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second modality unit is a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) modality unit with a full ring structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second modality unit is moveable from a retracted position to an imaging position at which a center of the FOV of the second modality unit aligns with and overlaps a center of the scan plane of the first modality unit when the second modality unit is used for imaging.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first modality unit is to rotate about a bore at the center of the gantry.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first modality unit and the second modality unit are in parallel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first modality unit and the second modality unit are mounted to separate mounting structures within the gantry.

9. A system, comprising:
a patient support surface, wherein the patient support surface is to support a patient during an imaging procedure;
a gantry, wherein the gantry includes a Computed Tomography (CT) modality unit and a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) modality unit, the CT modality unit defining a scan plane passing through a detector of the CT modality unit and the PET modality unit defining a field of view (FOV), wherein the CT modality unit is positioned about a bore of the gantry and the PET modality unit is moveable along an examination axis such that the FOV of the PET modality unit physically aligns with the scan plane of the CT modality unit, and the FOV of the PET modality unit and the scan plane of the CT modality unit simultaneously physically overlap.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the PET modality unit comprises a full ring of detectors.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the PET modality unit is to be concentric with the bore of the gantry during a PET imaging procedure.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the CT modality unit comprises an x-ray detector, wherein the x-ray detector is to rotate about the bore.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the CT modality unit and the PET modality unit are mounted to separate mounting structures within the gantry.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the CT modality unit and the PET modality unit are centered about a single point of interest.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the CT modality unit is fixed along an examination axis, and rotatable about the examination axis.

16. A method, comprising:
attaching a plurality of PET detector units to a ring structure, the PET detector units defining a field of view (FOV);
movably positioning the ring structure within a gantry;
positioning a Computed Tomography (CT) modality unit defining a scan plane passing through a detector of the CT modality unit rotatably about an examination axis; and
moving the PET detector units such that the FOV of the PET detector units physically aligns with the scan plane of the CT modality unit, and the FOV of the PET detector units and the scan plane of the CT modality unit simultaneously physically overlap.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of PET detector units form a full ring of detector units about the ring structure.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising moving the ring structure within a bore of the gantry along the examination axis to obtain a PET scan.

19. The method of claim 16 , comprising rotating the CT modality unit about the bore and the examination axis to obtain a CT scan.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the ring structure is moved from a retracted position to an imaging position at which a center of the FOV of the PET detector units aligns with and overlaps a center of the scan plane of the CT modality unit when the PET detector units are used for imaging.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Nathan Adam Clark

Classifications

• A61B2560/0443

  Modular apparatus · CPC title

• A61B6/4417

  related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities · CPC title

• G01N2223/045

  combination of at least 2 measurements (transmission and scatter) · CPC title

• G01T1/1615 Primary

  using both transmission and emission sources simultaneously (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

• A61B6/4275

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