Radioactive emission detector equipped with a position tracking system

Abstract

A radioactive emission probe in communication with a position tracking system and the use thereof in a variety of systems and methods of medical imaging and procedures, are provided. Specifically, wide-aperture collimation-deconvolution algorithms are provided, for obtaining a high-efficiency, high resolution image of a radioactivity emitting source, by scanning the radioactivity emitting source with a probe of a wide-aperture collimator, and at the same time, monitoring the position of the radioactive emission probe, at very fine time intervals, to obtain the equivalence of fine-aperture collimation. The blurring effect of the wide aperture is then corrected mathematically. Furthermore, an imaging method by depth calculations is provided, based on the attenuation of photons of different energies, which are emitted from the same source, coupled with position monitoring.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 616,307 filed on Jul. 10, 2003, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 394,936 filed on Jul. 11, 2002.[0002]U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 616,307 is also a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 343,792 filed on Feb. 4, 2003, which is a National Phase of PCT Patent Application No. PCT / IL01 / 00638 filed on Jul. 11, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 727,464 filed on Dec. 4, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,826,889, which is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 714,164 filed Nov. 17, 2000, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 641,973 filed Aug. 21, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,489,176.[0003]PCT Patent Application No. PCT / IL01 / 00638 also claims the benefit of priority un...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a radioactive emission probe that can be used in medical imaging and procedures. It combines a wide-aperture collimation and deconvolution algorithms to obtain a high-efficiency, high resolution image of a radioactivity emitting source. The probe can also track its position accurately, and a depth calculations method is provided to correct the blurring effect. The invention has applications in therapeutics, such as implanting brachytherapy seeds, ultrasound microwave radio-frequency cryotherapy, and localized radiation ablations. The methods and systems can be implemented manually, automatically, or a combination of both, and may involve hardware or software.

Problems solved by technology

The use of minimally invasive surgical techniques has dramatically affected the methods and outcomes of surgical procedures.

Physically cutting through tissue and organs to visually expose surgical sites in conventional “open surgical” procedures causes tremendous blunt trauma and blood loss.

Exposure of internal tissues and organs in this manner also dramatically increases the risk of infection.

The result of such open surgical procedures is more pain and suffering, higher procedural costs, and greater risk of adverse outcomes.

However, there still exist a host of technical hurdles that limit the efficacy and increase the difficulty of minimally invasive procedures, some of which were overcome by the development of sophisticated imaging techniques.

The main limitation of the system is that once the body is penetrated, scanning capabilities are limited to a translational movement along the line of penetration.

An effective collimator for gamma radiation must be several mm in thickness and therefore an effective collimator for high energy gamma radiation cannot be engaged with a fine surgical instrument such as a surgical needle.

Thus, the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,513 cannot efficiently employ high energy gamma detection because directionality will to a great extent be lost and it also cannot efficiently employ beta radiation because too high proximity to the radioactive source is required, whereas body tissue limits the degree of maneuvering the instrument.

However, some of these metastasis or even early stage primary tumors do not show with the imaging tools described above.

Moreover often enough the most important part of a tumor to be removed for biopsy or surgically removed is the active, i.e., growing part, whereas using only conventional imaging cannot distinguish this specific part of a tumor from other parts thereof and (or) adjacent non affected tissue.

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