Collimator particularly for high resolution radioactivity distribution detection systems

Claim 2

A multi-plane collimator comprising: a. a first plate formed with at least first and second holes having first and second profiles, respectively, said first hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a first axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first plate, said second hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a second axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first plate, said first profile larger than said second profile; and b. a second plate formed with at least third and fourth holes having third and fourth profiles, respectively, said third hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a third axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second plate, said fourth hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a fourth axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second plate, said third profile larger than said fourth profile; c. said first plate mounted in juxtaposition to said second plate in such a manner that said first and third axes are in registration and said second and fourth axes are in registration; d. said first profile slightly larger than said third profile, said first and third holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging first collimator bore having a first focal length; e. said second profile slightly larger than said fourth profile, said second and fourth holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging second collimator bore having a second focal length which is different from said first focal length.

Claim 3

A collimator comprising: a. a first photoetched plate formed with at least first and second hole sets, said first and second hole sets including at least two apertures each, the apertures of said first hole set having a first profile and the apertures of said second hole set having a second profile, said first profile larger than said second profile, said apertures of said first and second hole sets having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution; b. a second photoetched plate formed with at least third and fourth hole sets, said third and fourth hole sets including at least two apertures each, the aperture of said third hole set having a third profile and the apertures of said fourth hole sets having a fourth profile, said third profile larger than said fourth profile, said apertures of said third and fourth hole sets having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution; c. said first photoetched plate mounted in juxtaposition to said second photoetched plate in such a manner that the apertures of said first hole set are in registration with the apertures of said third hole set and the apertures of said second hole set are in registration with the apertures of said fourth hole set; d. said first profile slightly larger than said third profile and said second profile slightly larger than said fourth profile; e. the axis of each aperture of said first hole set is in registration with the axis of each aperture of said third hole set and defined downwardly and inwardly converging first collimator bores, each of said first collimator bores having like focal lengths; f. the axis of each aperture of said second hole set is in registration with the axis of each aperture of said fourth hole set and define downwardly and inwardly converging second collimator bores, each of said second collimator bores having like focal lengths; g. said focal lengths of said first collimator bores being different from said focal lengths of said second collimator bores.

Claim 4

A collimator comprising: a. a first photoetched plate formed with at least first and second hole sets, said first and second hole sets including at least two apertures each, the apertures of said first hole set having a first profile and the apertures of said second hole set having a second profile, said first profile larger than said second profile, said apertures of said first and second hole sets having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution; b. a second photoetched plate formed with at least third and fourth hole sets, said third and fourth hole sets including at least two apertures each, the aperture of said third hole set having a third profile and the apertures of said fourth hole sets having a fourth profile, said third profile larger than said fourth profile, said apertures of said third and fourth hole sets having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution; c. said first photoetched plate mounted in juxtaposition to said second photoetched plate in such a manner that the apertures of said first hole set are in registration with the apertures of said third hole set and the apertures of said second hole set are in registration with the apertures of said fourth hole set; d. said first profile slightly larger than said third profile and said second profile slightly larger than said fourth profile; e. the axis of each aperture of said first hole set is in registration with the axis of each aperture of said third hole set and defined downwardly and inwardly converging first collimator bores, each of said first collimator bores having like focal lengths; f. the axis of each aperture of said second hole set is in registration with the axis of each aperture of said fourth hole set and define downwardly and inwardly converging second collimator bores, each of said second collimator bores having like focal lengths; g. said focal lengths of said first collimator bores being different from said focal lengths of said second collimator bores.

Claim 5

A radiation monitoring system for detecting radioactivity in a subject, said system comprising: a. collimator means including a first plate formed with at least first and second holeS having first and second profiles, respectively, said first hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a first axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first plate, said second hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a second axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first plate, said first profile larger than said second profile, and a second plate formed with at least third and fourth holes having third and fourth profiles, respectively, said third hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a third axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second plate, said fourth hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a fourth axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second plate, said third profile larger than said fourth profile, said first plate mounted in juxtaposition to said second plate in such a manner that said first and third axes are in registration and said second and fourth axes are in registration, said first profile slightly larger than said third profile, said first and third holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging first collimator bore having a first focal length, said second profile slightly larger than said fourth profile, said second and fourth holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging second collimator bore having a second focal length which is different from said first focal length; b. a plurality of scintillator means defining an array disposed in juxtaposition with said collimator means, said collimator bores and scintillators mounted in registration, one of said scintillator means mounted in registration with only one of said collimator bores; c. data means operatively connected to said plurality of scintillator means for detecting radioactivity events, for accumulating detected events in address locations corresponding to said array and for generating data signals representing the number of events accumulated at each address locations; and d. display means operatively connected to said data means for presenting said data signals.

Claim 6

A radiation monitoring system for detecting radioactivity in a subject, said system comprising: a. collimator means including a first plate formed with at least first and second holeS having first and second profiles, respectively, said first hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a first axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first plate, said second hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a second axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first plate, said first profile larger than said second profile, and a second plate formed with at least third and fourth holes having third and fourth profiles, respectively, said third hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a third axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second plate, said fourth hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a fourth axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second plate, said third profile larger than said fourth profile, said first plate mounted in juxtaposition to said second plate in such a manner that said first and third axes are in registration and said second and fourth axes are in registration, said first profile slightly larger than said third profile, said first and third holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging first collimator bore having a first focal length, said second profile slightly larger than said fourth profile, said second and fourth holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging second collimator bore having a second focal length which is different from said first focal length; b. a plurality of scintillator means defining an array disposed in juxtaposition with said collimator means, said collimator bores and scintillators mounted in registration, one of said scintillator means mounted in registration with only one of said collimator bores; c. data means operatively connected to said plurality of scintillator means for detecting radioactivity events, for accumulating detected events in address locations corresponding to said array and for generating data signals representing the number of events accumulated at each address locations; and d. display means operatively connected to said data means for presenting said data signals.

Claim 7

A radiation monitoring system for detecting radioactivity in a subject, said system comprising: a. photoetched collimator means including a first photoetched plate formed with at least first and second holes having first and second profiles, respectively, said first hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a first axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first photoetched plate, said second hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a second axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first photoetched plate, said first profile larger than said second profile, and a second photoetched plate formed with at least third and fourth holes having third and fourth profiles, respectively, said third hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a third axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second photoetched plates, said fourth hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a fourth axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second photoetched plate, said third profile larger than said fourth profile, said first photoetched plate mounted in juxtaposition to said second photoetched plate in such a manner that said first and third axes are in registration and said second and fourth axes are in registration, said first profile slightly larger than said third profile, said first and third holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging first collimator bore having a first focal length, said second profile slightly larger than said fourth profile, said second and fourth holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging second collimator bore having a second focal length which is different from said first focal length; b. a plUrality of scintillators defining an array disposed in juxtaposition with said collimator, said collimator bores and scintillators mounted in registration, one of said scintillators mounted in registration with only one of said collimator bores; c. photodetecting means associated with each said scintillator for detecting radioactivity events; d. light conducting means optically coupling each of said scintillators to each said photodetecting means; e. memory means operatively connected to each said photodetecting means for accumulating and storing detected events data in address locations; f. computer means operatively connected to said memory means for processing said stored data; g. movable platform means in spaced relationship with said array, said subject positioned on said movable platform means; h. means for moving said movable platform means in incremental steps defining a scanning pattern, radioactivity events being detected at each incremental step; and i. display means operatively connected to said computer means for presenting said processed data as a combined pictorial display.

Claim 8

A radiation monitoring system for detecting radioactivity in a subject, said system comprising: a. photoetched collimator means including a first photoetched plate formed with at least first and second holes having first and second profiles, respectively, said first hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a first axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first photoetched plate, said second hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a second axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said first photoetched plate, said first profile larger than said second profile, and a second photoetched plate formed with at least third and fourth holes having third and fourth profiles, respectively, said third hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a third axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second photoetched plates, said fourth hole having a boundary in the form of a cylindrical surface of revolution about a fourth axis which is perpendicular to the plane of said second photoetched plate, said third profile larger than said fourth profile, said first photoetched plate mounted in juxtaposition to said second photoetched plate in such a manner that said first and third axes are in registration and said second and fourth axes are in registration, said first profile slightly larger than said third profile, said first and third holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging first collimator bore having a first focal length, said second profile slightly larger than said fourth profile, said second and fourth holes defining a downwardly and inwardly converging second collimator bore having a second focal length which is different from said first focal length; b. a plUrality of scintillators defining an array disposed in juxtaposition with said collimator, said collimator bores and scintillators mounted in registration, one of said scintillators mounted in registration with only one of said collimator bores; c. photodetecting means associated with each said scintillator for detecting radioactivity events; d. light conducting means optically coupling each of said scintillators to each said photodetecting means; e. memory means operatively connected to each said photodetecting means for accumulating and storing detected events data in address locations; f. computer means operatively connected to said memory means for processing said stored data; g. movable platform means in spaced relationship with said array, said subject positioned on said movable platform means; h. means for moving said movable platform means in incremental steps defining a scanning pattern, radioactivity events being detected at each incremental step; and i. display means operatively connected to said computer means for presenting said processed data as a combined pictorial display.

Claim 9

The radiation monitoring system as claimed in claim 4 including display electronic means operatively connected between said computer means and said display means, said display means being a cathode-ray tube, said display electronic means generating coded scanning data signals to said cathode-ray tube, each said coded scanning data signal defining a half-tone value proportional to the number of events detected by each said scintillator, said coded scanning data signal controlling the intensity of each segment of said combined pictorial display, a half-tone combined image being presented on said cathode-ray tube.