Scintillation camera with light diffusion system

Claim 2

In a device for producing a display representative of the spatial distribution of incident radiation stimuli from the subject under investigation, the combination of: a. a light-emitting mechanism for emitting flashes of light in response to incident stimuli; b. light amplificaiton and integrating means for producing dots of light of a brightened intensity at locations corresponding to the locations of flashes in said mechanism and for integrating the dots to produce an image of spatial distribution of radioactivity in a subject under investigation; c. a light-conducting material interposed between the mechanism and the light amplification means; d. said material hAving an input surface oriented toward the mechanism and an output surface optically coupled to said light-amplification means by said material; and, e. reflective masking means interposed between said mechanism and said light amplification means, whereby light is reflected, diffused, scattered and dispersed.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said masking means comprises a material forming a pattern on said output surface of said light-conducting material.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein said masking means comprises a reflective painted pattern on the input surface of said material.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said masking means comprises a material forming a pattern on said output surface of said light-conducting material.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 wherein said masking means comprises a reflective painted pattern on the output surface of said material.

Claim 7

In a device for producing a display representative of the spatial distribution of incident stimuli from the subject under investigation including a light-emitting mechanism for emitting flashes of light in response to such incident stimuli, an array of light-responsive components a plurality of which emit substantially concurrent electrical signals in response to each flash of light from said emitting mechanism, such concurrent signals being of varying intensity and proportional to the intensity of the light signal responded to and means to derive positional information as to the locus of a light flash from concurrent signals, an improved light conductor forming at least a portion of an optical coupling between the mechanism and the components comprising: a. a sheet of light-conducting material having input and output surfaces; b. the input surface of the sheet being oriented toward the mechanism; c. the output surface of the sheet being oriented toward said light-responsive components; and, d. masking means interposed between said mechanism and said components and preventing the direct transmission of a portion of the light from a point where a flash of light occurs in said mechanism to a light responsive component when said flash occurs in an area masked by said masking means.

Claim 8

In a device for producing a display representative of the spatial distribution of incident stimuli from the subject under investigation including a light-emitting mechanism for emitting flashes of light in response to such incident stimuli, an array of light-responsive components a plurality of which emit substantially concurrent electrical signals in response to each flash of light from said emitting mechanism, such concurrent signals being of varying intensity and proportional to the intensity of the light signal responded to and means to derive positional information as to the locus of a light flash from concurrent signals, an improved light conductor forming at least a portion of an optical coupling between the mechanism and the components comprising: a. a sheet of light-conducting material having input and output surfaces; b. the input surface of the sheet being oriented toward the mechanism; c. the output surface of the sheet being oriented toward said light-responsive components; and, d. masking means interposed between said mechanism and said components and preventing the direct transmission of a portion of the light from a point where a flash of light occurs in said mechanism to a light responsive component when said flash occurs in an area masked by said masking means.

Claim 9

The device of claim 6 wherein said masking means is reflective whereby light is reflected and diffused.

Claim 10

The device of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of said masking means comprises a material forming a pattern on the input surface of said sheet.

Claim 11

The device of claim 6 wherein said masking means comprises a reflective painted pattern on the input surface of said sheet.

Claim 12

The device of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of said masking means comprises a material forming a pattern on the output surface of said sheet.

Claim 13

The device of claim 6 wherein said masking means comprises a reflective painted pattern on the output surface of said sheet.

Claim 14

In a gamma imaging device, the improved detector comprising: a. a housing; b. a collimator connected to the housing; c. a scintillation crystal carried by the housing inwardly of the collimator; d. a plurality of phototubes within the housing and adapted to emit electrical signals in response to light which results from scintillations occurring in the crystal; e. a crystal housing around the crystal and including an output window between the crystal and the phototubes, said window being essentially transparent to scintillations; f. a light conductor optically connecting the window to the phototubes and having a planar input surface in tight juxtaposed optical coupling with said window; g. said light conductor having output surface portions in juxtaposed relationship with said phototubes with at least some of said phototubes being in a common plane; and, h. masking means applied to at least one of the surfaces of the light conductor and inhibiting the direct transmission of light in masked areas from the center of a scintillation to the phototubEs.

Claim 15

In a gamma imaging device, the improved detector comprising: a. a housing; b. a collimator connected to the housing; c. a scintillation crystal carried by the housing inwardly of the collimator; d. a plurality of phototubes within the housing and adapted to emit electrical signals in response to light which results from scintillations occurring in the crystal; e. a crystal housing around the crystal and including an output window between the crystal and the phototubes, said window being essentially transparent to scintillations; f. a light conductor optically connecting the window to the phototubes and having a planar input surface in tight juxtaposed optical coupling with said window; g. said light conductor having output surface portions in juxtaposed relationship with said phototubes with at least some of said phototubes being in a common plane; and, h. masking means applied to at least one of the surfaces of the light conductor and inhibiting the direct transmission of light in masked areas from the center of a scintillation to the phototubEs.

Claim 16

In a device for producing an output representative of the spatial distribution of incident radiation stimuli including a light-emitting scintillator for emitting flashes of light in response to such incident stimuli and an array of light-responsive components a plurality of which emit substantially concurrent electrical signals in response to each flash of light from the scintillator, such concurrent electrical signals being of varying intensity and representative of the intensity of the light signal responded to, and means to derive positional information as to the locus of a light flash from concurrent signals, an improved light conductor forming at least a portion of an optical coupling between the scintillator and the components comprising: a. a light-conducting material having an input face oriented toward the scintillator and an output face oriented toward the light-responsive components; and, b. a plurality of masks interposed between the scintillator and the components each associated with a component and each preventing the direct transmission of portions of light where a flash of light occurs in the scintillator in an area masked by it.

Claim 17

In a device for producing an output representative of the spatial distribution of incident radiation stimuli including a light-emitting scintillator for emitting flashes of light in response to such incident stimuli and an array of light-responsive components a plurality of which emit substantially concurrent electrical signals in response to each flash of light from the scintillator, such concurrent electrical signals being of varying intensity and representative of the intensity of the light signal responded to, and means to derive positional information as to the locus of a light flash from concurrent signals, an improved light conductor forming at least a portion of an optical coupling between the scintillator and the components comprising: a. a light-conducting material having an input face oriented toward the scintillator and an output face oriented toward the light-responsive components; and, b. a plurality of masks interposed between the scintillator and the components each associated with a component and each preventing the direct transmission of portions of light where a flash of light occurs in the scintillator in an area masked by it.

Claim 18

The device of claim 13 wherein the masks associated with the more central components of an array are of greater area than masks associated with perimetral components of the array.

Claim 19

The device of claim 13 wherein certain of said masks each include a hub-like portion disposed in axial alignment with its associated component.

Claim 20

The device of claim 13 wherein certain of said masks each comprise a hub portion and a plurality of radially extending spoke portions extending generally radially outwardly from the hub.

Claim 21

The device of claim 16 wherein each of the spokes is generally symmetrical about a plane located by a plurality of component axes.

Claim 22

The device of claim 13 wherein certain of said masks are strips across at least some of the relatively outward components of an array.

Claim 23

The device of claim 13 wherein certain of the masks are reflective.

Claim 24

For use in a scintillation camera of the type having an array of phototubes or the like arranged in a geometric array, the improved light conductor comprising: a. a sheet of light conducting material having generally parallel input and output faces; b. a plurality of masks of light reflective material fixed to at least one of said faces; and, c. said masks being arranged in a mask array corresponding at least in part to said geometric array.

Claim 25

For use in a scintillation camera of the type having an array of phototubes or the like arranged in a geometric array, the improved light conductor comprising: a. a sheet of light conducting material having generally parallel input and output faces; b. a plurality of masks of light reflective material fixed to at least one of said faces; and, c. said masks being arranged in a mask array corresponding at least in part to said geometric array.

Claim 26

The light conductor of claim 20 wherein said geometric array includes phototubes or the like arranged at least in part in rings and wherein at least certain of said masks are arranged in rings.

Claim 27

The light conductor of claim 20 wherein certain of said masks each comprise a hub portion and a plurality of radially extending spoke portions extending generally radially outwardly from the hub.

Claim 28

The light conductor of claim 22 wherein each of the spokes is generally symmetrical about a plane located by a plurality of phototube axes.

Claim 29

The light conductor of claim 20 wherein certain of said masks are strips across at least some of the relatively outward components of an array.

Claim 30

For use in a scintillation camera of the type having an array of phototubes or the like arranged in a geometric array, the improved light conductor comprising: a. a sheet of light conducting material having generally parallel input and output faces, and defining output portions on the output surface for optical coupling to phototubes of the like; b. a reflective coating on said output face other than said output portions; and, c. selected ones of said output portions being provided with reflective masks.

Claim 31

For use in a scintillation camera of the type having an array of phototubes or the like arranged in a geometric array, the improved light conductor comprising: a. a sheet of light conducting material having generally parallel input and output faces, and defining output portions on the output surface for optical coupling to phototubes of the like; b. a reflective coating on said output face other than said output portions; and, c. selected ones of said output portions being provided with reflective masks.

Claim 32

the light conductor of claim 25 wherein certain of said masks comprise extensions of said reflective coating onto said output portions.

Claim 33

The light conductor of claim 25 wherein certain of said masks comprise a hub portion and plurality of radially extendinG spoke portions extending radially outwardly from the hub.

Claim 34

A scintillation camera comprising: a. a plurality of scintillation responsive devices arranged in an array; b. light emitting means for emitting flashes of light sensed by said scintillation responsive devices, said flashes being emitted in response to incident radiation stimuli; c. a plurality of said responsive devices emitting substantially concurrent signals in response to each light flash, the intensity of each such signal being proportional to the energy of light quanta received by the responsive device emitting the signal and a function of the distance from the locus of the light flash responded to; d. optical means interposed between said light emitting means and said scintillation responsive devices to diminish the quantity of light which would otherwise be transmitted directly to at least one of said scintillation responsive devices; and, e. imaging means for deriving the locus of the light flash from the relative intensities of said concurrent signals.

Claim 35

A scintillation camera comprising: a. a plurality of scintillation responsive devices arranged in an array; b. light emitting means for emitting flashes of light sensed by said scintillation responsive devices, said flashes being emitted in response to incident radiation stimuli; c. a plurality of said responsive devices emitting substantially concurrent signals in response to each light flash, the intensity of each such signal being proportional to the energy of light quanta received by the responsive device emitting the signal and a function of the distance from the locus of the light flash responded to; d. optical means interposed between said light emitting means and said scintillation responsive devices to diminish the quantity of light which would otherwise be transmitted directly to at least one of said scintillation responsive devices; and, e. imaging means for deriving the locus of the light flash from the relative intensities of said concurrent signals.

Claim 36

The scintillation camera of claim 28 wherein said optical means includes masking means having portions thereof aligned with said at least one inwardly disposed scintillation responsive device.

Claim 37

The scintillation camera of claim 28 wherein said optical means includes reflective masking means which additionally serves to increase the proportion of diffused light received by selected ones of said outwardly disposed scintillation responsive devices over that which would otherwise be received by said selected outwardly disposed devices.

Claim 38

The scintillation camera of claim 28 wherein said optical means selectively controls the proportion of light reaching selected ones of the light responsive devices to alter the proportional light distribution among said devices from that which would occur in the absence of said optical means.

Claim 39

In a gamma imaging device, the improved detector comprising: a. a housing; b. a collimator connected to the housing; c. a scintillation crystal carried by the housing inwardly of the collimator; d. a plurality of phototubes within the housing and adapted to emit electrical signals in response to light which results from scintillations occurring in the crystal; e. light conductor means optically connecting the crystal to the phototubes and having an input surface in optical coupling with said crystal; f. a crystal housing around the crystal and including at least a portion of said light conductor means as an output window between the crystal and the phototubes, said window being essentially transparent to scintillations; g. said light conductor means having output surface portions in juxtaposed relationship with said phototubes; and, h. masking means applied to said light conductor means and inhibiting the direct transmission of light in masked areas from the center of a scintillation to the phototubes.

Claim 40

In a gamma imaging device, the improved detector comprising: a. a housing; b. a collimator connected to the housing; c. a scintillation crystal carried by the housing inwardly of the collimator; d. a plurality of phototubes within the housing and adapted to emit electrical signals in response to light which results from scintillations occurring in the crystal; e. light conductor means optically connecting the crystal to the phototubes and having an input surface in optical coupling with said crystal; f. a crystal housing around the crystal and including at least a portion of said light conductor means as an output window between the crystal and the phototubes, said window being essentially transparent to scintillations; g. said light conductor means having output surface portions in juxtaposed relationship with said phototubes; and, h. masking means applied to said light conductor means and inhibiting the direct transmission of light in masked areas from the center of a scintillation to the phototubes.

Claim 41

The device of claim 32 wherein said masking means is reflective whereby light is reflected and diffused.

Claim 42

The device of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of said masking means comprises a material forming a pattern on the input surface of said sheet.

Claim 43

The device of claim 32 wherein said masking means comprises a reflective painted pattern on an input surface of said sheet.

Claim 44

The device of claim 32 wherein at least a portion of said masking means comprises a material forming a pattern on an output surface of said sheet.

Claim 45

The device of claim 32 wherein said masking means comprises a reflective painted pattern on the output surface of said sheet.