Device and method for measuring bone mineral mass

Claim 1

An attachment for a scintillation camera to enable the camera to be used for the in vivo measurement of bone mineral mass, in a living animal comprising: a grid holder for attachment to the camera; a grid mounted on said grid holder so that the grid lies directly in front of the camera when said grid holder is attached to the camera; and a generally U shaped arm attached at one end to said grid holder and, at the other end, including a source holder for holding a radioactive source, said source holder being entirely closed except that it defines an aperture directed toward said grid, said ends of said arm being spaced apart sufficiently to accommodate at least the portion of the body of a living animal in which the bone mineral mass is to be measured; wherein said source holder is at least 50 cm from said grid and said grid is focused on said source holder.

Claim 6

An apparatus for the in vivo measuring of bone mineral mass in a living animal using photon absorptiometry, comprising: a radiation source holder; a scintillation camera; and means for reducing scatter radiation, said means comprising a grid positioned adjacent said camera between said source and said camera, said grid being focused on said source holder; said grid and source being spaced apart to accommodate at least a portion of the body of the living animal in which the bone mineral mass is to be measured.

Claim 7

An apparatus for the in vivo measuring of bone mineral mass in a living animal using photon absorptiometry, comprising: a radiation source holder; a scintillation camera; and means for reducing scatter radiation, said means comprising a grid positioned adjacent said camera between said source and said camera, said grid being focused on said source holder; said grid and source being spaced apart to accommodate at least a portion of the body of the living animal in which the bone mineral mass is to be measured.

Claim 11

A method for the in vivo measuring of bone mineral mass, comprising: emitting radiation from a radiation source; locating a scintillation camera spaced from said source for receiving radiation from said source as it is transmitted through a plurality of points along a broad area of a bone; placing a grid between said source and said camera, said grid being focused on said source; placing a live subject between said source and said grid so that some of the radiation from said source passes through at least a portion of a bone of said subject before it passes through the grid and to the camera, with the source, subject and camera spaced apart so that the image of the bone is magnified at least two times on the camera; storing and analyzing the data from said camera to calculate the mass of mineral in at least a portion of the bone.

Claim 12

A method for the in vivo measuring of bone mineral mass, comprising: emitting radiation from a radiation source; locating a scintillation camera spaced from said source for receiving radiation from said source as it is transmitted through a plurality of points along a broad area of a bone; placing a grid between said source and said camera, said grid being focused on said source; placing a live subject between said source and said grid so that some of the radiation from said source passes through at least a portion of a bone of said subject before it passes through the grid and to the camera, with the source, subject and camera spaced apart so that the image of the bone is magnified at least two times on the camera; storing and analyzing the data from said camera to calculate the mass of mineral in at least a portion of the bone.

Claim 15

A method for measuring bone mineral mass in the load-bearing portion of a vertebral body, comprising: emitting radiation from a radiation source; locating a scintillation camera a distance from said source; reducing scatter radiation from said source by positioning a grid adjacent said camera between said source and said camera, said grid being focused on said source holder; said grid and source being spaced apart to accommodate a vertebral body in which the bone mineral mass is to be measured; placing a vertebral body between said source and said grid so that radiation which passes laterally from one side of said vertebral body to the other side provides a profile of said vertebral body on said scintillation camera; using the information provided by said scintillation camera to make a matrix of data corresponding to bone mineral mass at points along said vertebral body; analyzing the data in the load-bearing portions of said vertebral body to determine bone mass and areal density in the load-bearing portion of said vertebral body.

Claim 16

A method for measuring bone mineral mass in the load-bearing portion of a vertebral body, comprising: emitting radiation from a radiation source; locating a scintillation camera a distance from said source; reducing scatter radiation from said source by positioning a grid adjacent said camera between said source and said camera, said grid being focused on said source holder; said grid and source being spaced apart to accommodate a vertebral body in which the bone mineral mass is to be measured; placing a vertebral body between said source and said grid so that radiation which passes laterally from one side of said vertebral body to the other side provides a profile of said vertebral body on said scintillation camera; using the information provided by said scintillation camera to make a matrix of data corresponding to bone mineral mass at points along said vertebral body; analyzing the data in the load-bearing portions of said vertebral body to determine bone mass and areal density in the load-bearing portion of said vertebral body.