Dual synchronized sliding transmission detection windows for dual transmission line sources

Claim 3

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said spatial plane is perpendicular to a long axis of said object.

Claim 4

An apparatus as described in claim 1 further comprising a scanning mechanism for scanning said first line source and said second line source, in synchronization, across said fields of view of said first detector and said second detector.

Claim 5

An apparatus as described in claim 3 further comprising means for scanning said first transmission detection window across said field of view of said first detector in synchronization with said first line source.

Claim 6

An apparatus as described in claim 4 further comprising means for scanning said second transmission detection window across said field of view of said second detector in synchronization with said second line source.

Claim 7

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said first transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said second line source and wherein said second transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said first line source.

Claim 8

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said first line source and said second line source are individually collimated.

Claim 9

An apparatus as described in claim 1 further comprising: storage memory for containing transmission data collected by said first transmission detection window and said second transmission detection window; and a computer system for generating a set of nonuniform attenuation correction factors based on said transmission data.

Claim 10

An apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein said first detector and said second detector collect emission data from emission radiation emitted from said object and wherein said computer system is also for correcting said emission data with said nonuniform attenuation correction factors.

Claim 13

An apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein said first detector and said second detector are oriented at right angles.

Claim 14

An apparatus as described in claim 10 further comprising means for scanning said first transmission detection window across a field of view of said first detector in synchronization with said first line source.

Claim 15

An apparatus as described in claim 12 further comprising means for scanning said second transmission detection window across a field of view of said second detector in synchronization with said second line source.

Claim 16

An apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein said first transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said second line source and wherein said second transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said first line source.

Claim 17

An apparatus as described in claim 10 further comprising: storage memory for containing transmission data collected by said first transmission detection window and said second transmission detection window; and a computer system for generating a set of nonuniform attenuation correction factors based on said transmission data.

Claim 18

An apparatus as described in claim 15 wherein said first and said second detector are also for recording emission data from emission radiation emitted from said object and wherein said computer system is also for correcting said emission data with said nonuniform attenuation correction factors.

Claim 19

A gamma camera system for collecting transmission data from an object, said gamma camera system comprising: a first collimated detector and a second collimated detector mounted on a gantry structure for detecting transmission and emission radiation associated with said object; a first transmission line source attached to said gantry for scanning across said first detector; a second transmission line source attached to said gantry structure for scanning across said second detector, wherein said first transmission line source and said second transmission line source scan along a long axis of said object and remain transverse to said long axis; a first transmission detection window electronically defined within said first detector, said first transmission detection window for scanning in synchronization with said first transmission line source to receive transmission radiation originating therefrom; a second transmission detection window electronically defined within said second detector, said second transmission detection window for scanning in synchronization with said second transmission line source to receive transmission radiation originating therefrom, wherein said first transmission detection window and said second transmission detection window remain transverse to said long axis of said object, wherein said first transmission detection window and transmission detection window define two sides of a spatial region, and wherein first line source and said second line source remain within said spatial region scanning across said first detector and said second detector, respectively; and a computer system coupled to receive transmission and emission counts from said transmission and emission radiation and for storing said counts into a memory.

Claim 20

A gamma camera system for collecting transmission data from an object, said gamma camera system comprising: a first collimated detector and a second collimated detector mounted on a gantry structure for detecting transmission and emission radiation associated with said object; a first transmission line source attached to said gantry for scanning across said first detector; a second transmission line source attached to said gantry structure for scanning across said second detector, wherein said first transmission line source and said second transmission line source scan along a long axis of said object and remain transverse to said long axis; a first transmission detection window electronically defined within said first detector, said first transmission detection window for scanning in synchronization with said first transmission line source to receive transmission radiation originating therefrom; a second transmission detection window electronically defined within said second detector, said second transmission detection window for scanning in synchronization with said second transmission line source to receive transmission radiation originating therefrom, wherein said first transmission detection window and said second transmission detection window remain transverse to said long axis of said object, wherein said first transmission detection window and transmission detection window define two sides of a spatial region, and wherein first line source and said second line source remain within said spatial region scanning across said first detector and said second detector, respectively; and a computer system coupled to receive transmission and emission counts from said transmission and emission radiation and for storing said counts into a memory.

Claim 21

A gamma camera system as described in claim 17 wherein said first detector and said second detector are oriented at right angles to each other.

Claim 22

A gamma camera system as described in claim 17 wherein said first transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said second transmission line source and wherein said second transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said first transmission line source.

Claim 23

A gamma camera system as described in claim 19 wherein said computer system is additionally for generating a set of nonuniform attenuation correction factors based on said transmission counts and wherein said computer system is also for correcting said emission counts with said nonuniform attenuation correction factors.

Claim 24

In a gamma camera system, a method of collecting transmission data with respect to an object, said method comprising the steps of: detecting transmission and emission radiation with a first collimated detector and a second collimated detector; scanning a first line source across a field of view of said first detector; scanning a second line source across a field of view of said second detector; scanning a first transmission detection window on a surface of said first detector in synchronization with said first line source, wherein said first transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said first line source; scanning a second transmission detection window on a surface of said second detector in synchronization with said second line source, wherein said second transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said second line source; and wherein said first line source, said second line source, said first transmission detection window, and said second transmission detection window have individual long axis and wherein all of said individual long axes are contained within a single spatial plane perpendicular to a long axes of said object during said scanning.

Claim 25

In a gamma camera system, a method of collecting transmission data with respect to an object, said method comprising the steps of: detecting transmission and emission radiation with a first collimated detector and a second collimated detector; scanning a first line source across a field of view of said first detector; scanning a second line source across a field of view of said second detector; scanning a first transmission detection window on a surface of said first detector in synchronization with said first line source, wherein said first transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said first line source; scanning a second transmission detection window on a surface of said second detector in synchronization with said second line source, wherein said second transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said second line source; and wherein said first line source, said second line source, said first transmission detection window, and said second transmission detection window have individual long axis and wherein all of said individual long axes are contained within a single spatial plane perpendicular to a long axes of said object during said scanning.

Claim 26

A method as described in claim 21 wherein said first line source and said second line source scan in synchronization and further comprising the steps of: rejecting scattered transmission radiation emitted from said second line source and detected within said first transmission detection window; and rejecting scattered transmission radiation emitted from said first line source and detected within said second transmission detection window.

Claim 27

In a gamma camera system, a method of collecting transmission data with respect to an object having a long axis, said method comprising the steps of: detecting transmission and emission radiation with a first collimated detector and a second collimated detector; scanning a first line source across a field of view of said first detector; scanning a second line source across a field of view of said second detector in synchronization with said first line source; scanning a first transmission detection window on a surface of said first detector in synchronization with said first line source, wherein said first transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said first line source; scanning a second transmission detection window on a surface of said second detector in synchronization with said second line source, wherein said second transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said second line source; and wherein said first transmission detection window and said second transmission detection window both remain transverse to said long axis of said object during said scanning, and wherein said first line source, said second line source, said first transmission detection window, and said second transmission detection window have individual long axes, and wherein all of said individual long axes are maintained within a single spatial plane perpendicular to said long axis of said object during scanning.

Claim 28

In a gamma camera system, a method of collecting transmission data with respect to an object having a long axis, said method comprising the steps of: detecting transmission and emission radiation with a first collimated detector and a second collimated detector; scanning a first line source across a field of view of said first detector; scanning a second line source across a field of view of said second detector in synchronization with said first line source; scanning a first transmission detection window on a surface of said first detector in synchronization with said first line source, wherein said first transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said first line source; scanning a second transmission detection window on a surface of said second detector in synchronization with said second line source, wherein said second transmission detection window receives transmission radiation originating from said second line source; and wherein said first transmission detection window and said second transmission detection window both remain transverse to said long axis of said object during said scanning, and wherein said first line source, said second line source, said first transmission detection window, and said second transmission detection window have individual long axes, and wherein all of said individual long axes are maintained within a single spatial plane perpendicular to said long axis of said object during scanning.

Claim 29

A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the steps of: collecting transmission counts and emission counts from said transmission and emission radiation; storing said emission counts and said transmission counts into a memory device; and generating a nonuniform attenuation correction map from said transmission counts.

Claim 30

A method as described in claim 24 further comprising the steps of: correcting said emission counts by said nonuniform attenuation correction map to produce corrected emission data; and generating an image of said object with said corrected emission data.

Claim 31

A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the step of orienting said first detector and said second detector at right angles.

Claim 32

A method as described in claim 23 further comprising the steps of: rotating said first detector and said second detector to an angle of rotation for an ECT scan; determining a first zoom window within a portion of said surface of said first detector based on said angle of rotation wherein said object is within a field of view of said first zoom window; determining a second zoom window within a portion of said surface of said second detector based on said angle of rotation wherein said object is within a field of view of said second zoom window; and collecting emission data detected within said first zoom window and said second zoom window for said angle of rotation.

Claim 33

A method as described in claim 27 further comprising the step of collecting only transmission data detected within an area of overlap between said first zoom window and said first transmission detection window and collecting only transmission data detected within an area of overlap between said second zoom window and said second transmission detection window.

Claim 36

An apparatus as described in claim 29, wherein said spatial region is perpendicular to a long axis of said object.

Claim 37

An apparatus as described in claim 29, wherein said first transmission detection window is oriented at an angle relative to said second transmission detection window, wherein said angle is less than 180 degrees.

Claim 38

An apparatus as described in claim 31, wherein said transmission detection window is oriented at a right angle relative to said second transmission detection window.

Claim 39

An apparatus as described in claim 32, wherein said line source has a long axis parallel to a plane containing the first transmission detection window, and wherein the second line source has a long axis parallel to a plane containing the second transmission detection window.

Claim 40

An apparatus as described in claim 29, wherein said first transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said second line source and wherein said second transmission detection window rejects scattered transmission radiation emitted from said first line source.

Claim 41

An apparatus as described in claim 29, further comprising: storage memory containing transmission data collected by said first transmission detection window and said second transmission detection window; and a computer system generating a set of nonuniform attenuation correction factors based on said transmission data.

Claim 42

An apparatus as described in claim 35, wherein said first detector and said second detector collect emission data from emission radiation emitted from said object and wherein said computer system corrects said emission data with said nonuniform attenuation correction factors.