Light sharing crystal module, detector and height decoding method thereof, and emission imaging device

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical sharing crystal module, a detector and a height decoding method thereof, and emission imaging equipment. The light sharing crystal module comprises a scintillation crystal array, wherein the size of the scintillation crystal array is 2N * 2N; wherein N is a natural number; in the scintillation crystal array, except the scintillation crystals in the first row and the first column, the first row and the 2N column, the 2N row and the first column, and the 2N row and the 2N column, one side surface of each of the other scintillation crystals is provided with a light-transmitting window, and the light-transmitting windows of two adjacent scintillation crystals are arranged in a face-to-face manner; wherein the light-transmitting windows are regularly arranged, the light-transmitting windows in the first column and the 2Nth column are located in the 2nth row, and n is larger than or equal to 1 and smaller than or equal to N-1; the light-transmitting windows in the first row and the 2Nth row are located in the 2nth column, and n is larger than or equal to 1 and smaller than or equal to N-1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of emission imaging technology, and in particular to an optical shared crystal module, a detector and its high-resolution decoding method, and an emission imaging device. Background Technology

[0002] Among emission imaging techniques, positron emission tomography (PET) is one of the most sensitive and quantitatively measurable functional molecular imaging techniques, widely used for the early detection of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and cancer. The decoding capability of the depth of interaction (DOI) of gamma photons in a scintillation crystal is crucial for high-resolution PET imaging equipment.

[0003] In existing technologies, software or hardware correction schemes are employed to improve the information content and decoding resolution of the reaction depth, thereby enhancing the spatial resolution and sensitivity ratio of imaging devices. Software correction schemes, such as the Ordered Subsets Expectation Maximization (OSEM) iterative algorithm, suffer from high computational costs and poor stability in iteration counts. Hardware correction schemes, such as those integrating multiple types of scintillation crystals, suffer from complex structures and low decoding accuracy. Multilayer crystal schemes are limited by crystal surface design, the size and arrangement of each crystal layer, and mechanical design; furthermore, due to crystal discontinuity, the boundaries between different crystal materials lead to significant photon loss, reducing system sensitivity. Discrete crystal array dual-end readout schemes have certain requirements on the reflectivity of the scintillation crystal reflective material and, compared to single-end readout schemes, increase the number of optoelectronic devices and the number and complexity of the system's readout electronic circuitry. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an optical shared crystal module, a detector and its high-resolution decoding method, and an emission imaging device to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, an optically shared crystal module is provided, comprising: A scintillation crystal array, the size of which is 2N×2N, where N is a natural number; in the scintillation crystal array, except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st row and 1st column, the 1st row and 2Nth column, the 2Nth row and 1st column, and the 2Nth row and 2Nth column, the remaining scintillation crystals have a light-transmitting window on one side, and the light-transmitting windows of two adjacent scintillation crystals are arranged face to face; wherein, the light-transmitting windows are arranged regularly, and the light-transmitting windows in the 1st column and the 2Nth column are located in the 2nth row, N-1≧n≧1; the light-transmitting windows in the 1st row and the 2Nth row are located in the 2nth column, N-1≧n≧1.

[0006] Optionally, in the scintillation crystal array, except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st and 2Nth columns, column light-transmitting windows are provided on the coupling surfaces of the remaining scintillation crystals located in the 2nth column and the adjacent 2n+1th column. The column light-transmitting windows are arranged at intervals, and the number of rows of the column light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th column does not coincide with the number of rows of the column light-transmitting windows in the 2nth column, where N-1≧n≧1. Except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st and 2Nth rows, row light-transmitting windows are provided on the coupling surfaces of the remaining scintillation crystals located in the 2nth row and the adjacent 2n+1th row. The row light-transmitting windows are arranged at intervals. The number of columns of the row light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th row does not coincide with the number of columns of the row light-transmitting windows in the 2nth row, and N-1≧n≧1.

[0007] Optionally, in each of the column light-transmitting windows, a first light-transmitting window is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2nth column; a second light-transmitting window is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1; In each of the rows of light-transmitting windows, a third light-transmitting window is opened below the scintillation crystal located in the 2nth row; a fourth light-transmitting window is opened above the scintillation crystal located in the 2n+1th row, where N-1≧n≧1; In columns 1 and 2N, a fifth light-transmitting window is opened below the scintillation crystal located in row 2n, and a sixth light-transmitting window is opened above the scintillation crystal located in row 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1; In rows 1 and 2N, a seventh light-transmitting window is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal located in column 2n, and an eighth light-transmitting window is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal located in column 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1; The first light-transmitting window faces the second light-transmitting window, the third light-transmitting window faces the fourth light-transmitting window, the fifth light-transmitting window faces the sixth light-transmitting window, and the seventh light-transmitting window faces the eighth light-transmitting window.

[0008] Optionally, in the scintillation crystal array, except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st and 2Nth columns, column light-transmitting windows are provided on the coupling surfaces of the remaining scintillation crystals located in the 2nth column and the adjacent 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1.

[0009] Optionally, in each of the column light-transmitting windows, a first light-transmitting window is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2nth column; a second light-transmitting window is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1; In columns 1 and 2N, a third light-transmitting window is opened below the scintillation crystal located in row 2n, and a fourth light-transmitting window is opened above the scintillation crystal located in row 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1; The first light-transmitting window and the second light-transmitting window face each other, and the third light-transmitting window and the fourth light-transmitting window face each other.

[0010] Optionally, the scintillation crystal includes at least one of active sodium thallium iodide crystal, bismuth germanate crystal, lutetium silicate crystal, or lutetium-yttrium silicate crystal.

[0011] Optionally, the light-sharing crystal module has an upper end face and a lower end face, and each of the light-transmitting windows is disposed close to the upper end face and is flush with the upper end face of the scintillation crystal on which it is located.

[0012] Optionally, a photoelectric sensor couples to four of the scintillation crystals.

[0013] Optionally, each of the light-transmitting windows is filled with a light-transmitting medium, including optical adhesive, optical silicone grease, or gel.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a detector is provided, comprising: an optically shared crystal module as described in any embodiment of the present invention, and a photoelectric sensor array, the photoelectric sensor array comprising a plurality of photoelectric sensors, one of the plurality of photoelectric sensors being coupled to at least one of the scintillation crystals.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a height decoding method for a detector is provided, applicable to the detector described in any embodiment of the present invention, the height decoding method comprising: Except for the scintillation crystals in the first row and first column, the first row and second column, the first row and second column, the first row and second column, and the second row and second column, the decoding spots of the remaining scintillation crystals are elongated in specific directions. All the elongated decoding spots are mapped onto a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, where the x-axis is parallel to the direction of the decoding spot elongation and represents the pixel of the decoding spot, and the y-axis represents the event count distributed along the x-axis. The decoding map is obtained by summing the signals of the events in the y-direction. Resolution acquisition steps: Perform uniform irradiation experiments, followed by a series of collimation experiments at different heights to obtain the event count distribution in the y direction at different collimation heights. Plot the correspondence curves between the peak position of the light spot, the reaction depth, and the height of the scintillation crystal for the number of events at different collimation heights. Interpolate or fit the corresponding curves to obtain the reaction depth decoding curve. The resolution of the response depth (DOI) is obtained by calculating the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the response depth decoding curve, which is the pulse width of the response depth of the γ photon in the scintillation crystal. The reaction depth information is obtained through the resolution acquisition step of the optically shared crystal module for image reconstruction.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, an emission imaging device is provided, the emission imaging device comprising: an optically shared crystal module as described in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] This invention, through the creation of light-transmitting windows on scintillation crystals, guides the light distribution of visible photon groups within the photoelectric sensor. Specifically, for the main body of the scintillation crystal array, each scintillation crystal has a light-transmitting window on one side. The light-transmitting windows of adjacent scintillation crystals are arranged face-to-face, meaning they exist in pairs and are regularly arranged. Therefore, the light-sharing crystal module provided by this invention enables the illumination of the photoelectric sensor with visible light of varying intensities. Furthermore, by utilizing the signal strength relationships among the photoelectric sensors in the array, position and depth decoding of high-energy photons can be achieved, increasing the depth information and decoding resolution of the imaging device, thereby improving the spatial resolution and sensitivity ratio of the imaging device.

[0018] This invention employs an improved hardware solution, thus avoiding the problems of high computational cost and poor stability of iteration counts inherent in software correction schemes. Compared to other hardware correction schemes that integrate multiple types of scintillation crystals, this invention can use the same type of scintillation crystal, which simplifies the structure and improves decoding accuracy. Compared to multilayer crystal schemes, this invention is not limited by crystal surface design, the size and arrangement of each crystal layer, or mechanical design in terms of manufacturing process. It also helps to mitigate the problem of severe photon loss caused by the interface between different crystal materials, thereby improving system sensitivity. Compared to the dual-end readout scheme of discrete crystal arrays, this invention reduces the requirements for the reflectivity of the scintillation crystal reflective material, as well as the number of photoelectric sensors and the number and complexity of the system readout electronic circuit.

[0019] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of an optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of a fixed-specification optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the basic structure of a pair of scintillation crystals on adjacent different photoelectric sensors provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the basic structure of a pair of scintillation crystals on adjacent different photoelectric sensors provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A top view schematic diagram of another optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A top view of another fixed-specification optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of a detector height decoding method provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system in a detector height decoding method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0024] This invention provides an optical shared crystal module, which has a simple design structure and high decoding accuracy and position decoding capability.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of an optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The optical shared crystal module is mainly composed of a scintillation crystal array 10.

[0026] Specifically, the size of the scintillation crystal array 10 is 2N×2N; where N is a natural number; in the scintillation crystal array 10, except for the scintillation crystals 101 in the 1st row and 1st column, the 1st row and 2Nth column, the 2Nth row and 1st column, and the 2Nth row and 2Nth column... Figure 2 Except for the scintillation crystal (represented by a blue box in the image), a light-transmitting window 102 is opened on one side of each of the other scintillation crystals 101. Figure 2 The light-transmitting windows are represented by orange lines, and the light-transmitting windows 102 of two adjacent scintillation crystals 101 are arranged face to face; the light-transmitting windows 102 are arranged regularly, and the light-transmitting windows 102 in the 1st column and the 2Nth column are located in the 2nth row, N-1≧n≧1; the light-transmitting windows 102 in the first row and the 2Nth row are located in the 2nth column, N-1≧n≧1.

[0027] This invention, through the creation of a light-transmitting window 102 on the scintillation crystal 101, guides the light distribution of visible photon groups on the photoelectric sensor. Specifically, for the main body of the scintillation crystal array 10 (excluding the scintillation crystals 101 located in the 1st row 1st column, 1st row 2Nth column, 2Nth row 1st column, and 2Nth row 2Nth column), each scintillation crystal 101 has a light-transmitting window 102 on one side. The light-transmitting windows 102 of adjacent scintillation crystals 101 are arranged face-to-face, meaning they exist in pairs and are regularly arranged. Therefore, by utilizing the light-sharing crystal module provided in this invention, visible light of varying intensity can be irradiated onto the photoelectric sensor. Furthermore, by utilizing the signal strength relationships of each photoelectric sensor in the photoelectric sensor array 20, position and depth decoding of high-energy photons can be achieved, increasing the depth information and decoding resolution of the imaging device, thereby improving the spatial resolution and sensitivity ratio of the imaging device.

[0028] This invention employs an improved hardware solution, thus avoiding the problems of high computational cost and poor stability of iteration counts inherent in software correction schemes. Compared to other hardware correction schemes that integrate multiple types of scintillation crystals, this invention can use the same type of scintillation crystal, which simplifies the structure and improves decoding accuracy. Compared to multilayer crystal schemes, this invention is not limited by crystal surface design, the size and arrangement of each crystal layer, or mechanical design in terms of manufacturing process. It also helps to mitigate the problem of severe photon loss caused by the interface between different crystal materials, thereby improving system sensitivity. Compared to the dual-end readout scheme of discrete crystal arrays, this invention reduces the requirements for the reflectivity of the scintillation crystal reflective material, as well as the number of photoelectric sensors and the number and complexity of the system readout electronic circuit.

[0029] In the above embodiments, there are various ways to configure the scintillation crystal array 10, which will be described in detail below, but this is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0030] See also Figure 2 In one embodiment, optionally, in the scintillation crystal array 10, except for the scintillation crystals 101 in the 1st and 2Nth columns, column light-transmitting windows (i.e., light-transmitting windows extending along the column direction) are provided on the coupling surfaces of the remaining scintillation crystals 101 located in the 2nth column and the adjacent 2n+1th column. The column light-transmitting windows are arranged at intervals (i.e., the column light-transmitting windows are not continuous; for the same column of scintillation crystals 101, some scintillation crystals 101 have column light-transmitting windows, while some scintillation crystals 101 do not have column light-transmitting windows). The number of rows of the column light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th column does not coincide with the number of rows of the column light-transmitting windows in the 2nth column (for example, the number of rows corresponding to the column light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th column is the 2nd and 3rd rows, and the number of rows corresponding to the column light-transmitting windows in the 2nth column is the 4th and 5th rows), and N-1≧n≧1.

[0031] Except for the scintillation crystals 101 in the 1st and 2Nth rows, the remaining scintillation crystals 101 have row light-transmitting windows (i.e., light-transmitting windows extending along the row direction) on the coupling surface between the 2nth row and the adjacent 2n+1th row. The row light-transmitting windows are arranged at intervals (i.e., the row light-transmitting windows are not continuous; for the same row of scintillation crystals 101, some scintillation crystals 101 have row light-transmitting windows, while some scintillation crystals 101 do not have row light-transmitting windows). The number of columns of the row light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th row does not coincide with the number of columns of the row light-transmitting windows in the 2nth row (for example, the number of columns corresponding to the row light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th row is the 2nd and 3rd columns, and the number of columns corresponding to the row light-transmitting windows in the 2nth row is the 4th and 5th columns), and N-1≧n≧1.

[0032] See also Figure 2 For example, except for the scintillation crystals 101 in the first row and the second Nth row, in each column of light-transmitting windows, a first light-transmitting window 11 is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal 101 in the 2nth column; a second light-transmitting window 12 is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal 101 in the 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1.

[0033] In addition to the scintillation crystals 101 in the 1st and 2Nth columns, a third light-transmitting window 13 is opened below the scintillation crystal 101 in the 2nth row and a fourth light-transmitting window 14 is opened above the scintillation crystal 101 in the 2n+1th row, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1.

[0034] In columns 1 and 2N, a fifth light-transmitting window 15 is opened below the scintillation crystal 101 located in row 2n, and a sixth light-transmitting window 16 is opened above the scintillation crystal 101 located in row 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1.

[0035] In rows 1 and 2N, a seventh light-transmitting window 17 is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal 101 located in column 2n, and an eighth light-transmitting window 18 is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal 101 located in column 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1.

[0036] In this configuration, the first light-transmitting window 11 and the second light-transmitting window 12 face each other. Figure 2 The third light-transmitting window 13 and the fourth light-transmitting window 14 are shown facing each other, represented by an orange line. Figure 2 The fifth light-transmitting window 15 and the sixth light-transmitting window 16 are shown facing each other, represented by an orange line. Figure 2 The seventh light-transmitting window 17 and the eighth light-transmitting window 18 are shown facing each other, represented by an orange line. Figure 2 It is represented by an orange line.

[0037] In this embodiment of the invention, in addition to the scintillation crystals 101 located in the 1st row, 1st column, 1st row, 2Nth column, 2Nth row, 1st column, and 2Nth row, 2Nth column, each scintillation crystal 101 has a light-transmitting window 102 on one side, and the light-transmitting windows 102 exist in pairs and are arranged regularly. The light-transmitting windows 102 in this embodiment can guide the light distribution of visible photon groups on the photoelectric sensor. Using the light-sharing crystal module provided in this embodiment, visible light of varying intensities can be irradiated onto the photoelectric sensor. Furthermore, by utilizing the signal strength relationships of each photoelectric sensor in the photoelectric sensor array 20, position decoding and depth decoding of high-energy photons can be achieved, improving the information content and decoding resolution of the imaging device's depth response, thereby improving the spatial resolution and sensitivity ratio of the imaging device.

[0038] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, the optical sharing crystal module has an upper surface (or top surface) and a lower surface (or bottom surface), and each light-transmitting window 102 is disposed near the upper surface and is flush with the upper surface (or top surface) of the scintillation crystal 101 to which it is located. In this embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces do not represent physical or absolute upper and lower, but are merely used to distinguish the two ends of the optical sharing crystal module. For example, each light-transmitting window 102 is disposed near the upper surface, and the lower surface is the light-emitting surface, coupled to a photoelectric sensor. It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the position of any light-transmitting window 102 in the height direction.

[0039] See also Figure 2 Based on the above embodiments, optionally, one photoelectric sensor is coupled to four scintillation crystals 101. Specifically, the four scintillation crystals 101 in the first row and first column, the first row and second column, the second row and first column, and the second row and second column are coupled to one photoelectric sensor; the four scintillation crystals 101 in the first row and third column, the first row and fourth column, the second row and third column, and the second row and fourth column are coupled to one photoelectric sensor; the four scintillation crystals 101 in the third row and first column, the third row and second column, the fourth row and first column, and the fourth row and second column are coupled to one photoelectric sensor; ...; and so on, each photoelectric sensor is coupled to four scintillation crystals 101. The photoelectric sensor can be a multi-pixel photon counter (MPPC). In this embodiment, the light-transmitting window 102 is located at the junction of scintillation crystals 101 coupled to adjacent different photoelectric sensors; that is, this embodiment uses a pair of scintillation crystals 101 on adjacent different photoelectric sensors as the basic structure, with a light-transmitting window 102 added in the middle.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of a fixed-specification optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 3Taking a 12×12 scintillation crystal array 10 as an example, a 6×6 photoelectric sensor is coupled to the lower end face of the optical sharing crystal module.

[0041] Except for columns 1 and 12, columns 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 each have a first light-transmitting window 11 on their right side every two scintillation crystals; Except for columns 1 and 12, columns 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 each have a second light-transmitting window 12 on their left side every two scintillation crystals; Except for rows 1 and 12, rows 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 each have a third light-transmitting window 13 below every two scintillation crystals; Except for rows 1 and 12, rows 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 have a fourth light-transmitting window 14 on every two scintillation crystals; The first and twelfth columns have a fifth light-transmitting window 15 and a sixth light-transmitting window 16 above and below them, respectively, every two rows. In rows 1 and 12, a seventh light-transmitting window 17 and an eighth light-transmitting window 18 are opened on the left and right sides of each column. Among them, the first light-transmitting window 11 faces the second light-transmitting window 12, the third light-transmitting window 13 faces the fourth light-transmitting window 14, the fifth light-transmitting window 15 faces the sixth light-transmitting window 16, and the seventh light-transmitting window 17 faces the eighth light-transmitting window 18.

[0042] The present invention is configured in such a way that the reaction depth of the scintillation crystal 101 can be accurately obtained.

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the basic structure of a pair of scintillation crystals on adjacent different photoelectric sensors provided as an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 Based on the above embodiments, optionally, the scintillation crystal 101 has an upper end surface (or top surface) 103 and a lower end surface (or bottom surface) 104. The upper end surface 103 of the scintillation crystal 101 is flush with the upper end surface of the optical sharing crystal module, and the lower end surface 104 of the scintillation crystal 101 is flush with the lower end surface of the optical sharing crystal module. Each light-transmitting window 102 is disposed close to the upper end surface 103 of the scintillation crystal 101, and the lower end surface 104 is the light-emitting surface used for coupling the photoelectric sensor 21. Wherein, by Figure 4As shown in the optical path diagram, visible light can be transmitted within the scintillation crystal 101 and enters the photoelectric sensor 21 from the lower end face 104. The setting of the light-transmitting window 102 allows visible light within the scintillation crystal 101 to be transmitted to adjacent scintillation crystals 101, where it is coupled to the corresponding photoelectric sensor 21, achieving light sharing. Therefore, by utilizing the signal strength relationship of each photoelectric sensor in the photoelectric sensor array 20, the position and depth decoding of high-energy photons can be achieved, improving the depth information and decoding resolution of the imaging device, thereby enhancing the spatial resolution and sensitivity ratio of the imaging device.

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the basic structure of a pair of scintillation crystals on adjacent different photoelectric sensors, provided as an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 For example, the scintillation crystal 101 has a width of 1.55 mm and a height of 7 mm; the light-transmitting window 102 has a height of 2 mm; and the interval between adjacent scintillation crystals 101 is 0.2 mm.

[0045] It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention do not limit the position of any light-transmitting window 102 in the height direction. Furthermore, the size and shape of the light-transmitting window 102 are not limited as shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0046] Figure 6 This is a top view schematic diagram of another optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 6 In another embodiment, optionally, in the scintillation crystal array 10, except for the scintillation crystals 101 in the 1st column and the 2Nth column, column light transmission windows are provided on the coupling surface of the remaining scintillation crystals 101 located in the 2nth column and the adjacent 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1.

[0047] See also Figure 6 For example, in each column of light-transmitting windows, a first light-transmitting window 11 is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal 101 located in the 2nth column; a second light-transmitting window 12 is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal 101 located in the 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1.

[0048] In columns 1 and 2N, a third light-transmitting window 13 is opened below the scintillation crystal 101 located in row 2n, and a fourth light-transmitting window 14 is opened above the scintillation crystal 101 located in row 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1.

[0049] Among them, the first light-transmitting window 11 and the second light-transmitting window 12 face each other, and the third light-transmitting window 13 and the fourth light-transmitting window 14 face each other.

[0050] In this embodiment of the invention, in addition to the scintillation crystals 101 located in the 1st row, 1st column, 1st row, 2Nth column, 2Nth row, 1st column, and 2Nth row, 2Nth column, each scintillation crystal 101 has a light-transmitting window 102 on one side, and the light-transmitting windows 102 exist in pairs and are arranged regularly. The light-transmitting windows 102 in this embodiment can guide the light distribution of visible photon groups on the photoelectric sensor. Using the light-sharing crystal module provided in this embodiment, visible light of varying intensities can be irradiated onto the photoelectric sensor. Furthermore, by utilizing the signal strength relationships of each photoelectric sensor in the photoelectric sensor array 20, position decoding and depth decoding of high-energy photons can be achieved, improving the information content and decoding resolution of the imaging device's depth response, thereby improving the spatial resolution and sensitivity ratio of the imaging device.

[0051] Figure 7 This is a top view schematic diagram of another fixed-specification optical shared crystal module provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 7 Taking a 12×12 scintillation crystal array 10 as an example, a 6×6 photoelectric sensor is coupled to the lower end face of the optical sharing crystal module.

[0052] A first light-transmitting window 11 is opened on the right side of all the scintillation crystals in columns 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10; A second light-transmitting window 12 is opened on the left side of all the scintillation crystals in columns 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11; A third light-transmitting window 13 is opened below the first and twelfth crystals in rows 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10; A fourth light-transmitting window 14 is opened on the first and 12th crystals in rows 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11; The first light-transmitting window 11 faces the second light-transmitting window 12, and the third light-transmitting window 13 faces the fourth light-transmitting window 14.

[0053] The present invention is configured in such a way that the reaction depth of the scintillation crystal 101 can be accurately obtained.

[0054] for Figure 6 and Figure 7 The optical shared crystal module shown is similar to the aforementioned embodiments in its coupling method with the photoelectric sensor and the specific setting of the scintillation crystal, and will not be described again.

[0055] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, the scintillation crystal 101 includes at least one of active sodium thallium iodide crystal, bismuth germanate crystal, lutetium silicate crystal, or lutetium-yttrium silicate crystal.

[0056] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, each light-transmitting window 102 is filled with a light-transmitting medium, including but not limited to optical adhesive, optical silicone grease or gel, to avoid generating air bubbles as much as possible.

[0057] This invention also provides a detector, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the detector includes an optically shared crystal module as provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and a photoelectric sensor array 20, which includes a plurality of photoelectric sensors, one of which is coupled to at least one scintillation crystal in the optically shared crystal module.

[0058] This invention, through the creation of a light-transmitting window 102 on the scintillation crystal 101, can guide the light distribution of visible photon groups in the photoelectric sensor. Specifically, for the main body of the scintillation crystal array 10, each scintillation crystal 101 has a light-transmitting window 102 on one side. The light-transmitting windows 102 of adjacent scintillation crystals 101 are arranged face-to-face, that is, the light-transmitting windows 102 exist in pairs and are regularly arranged. Furthermore, the light-transmitting window 102 is located at the junction of scintillation crystals 101 coupled to adjacent photoelectric sensors. This invention uses a pair of scintillation crystals 101 on adjacent photoelectric sensors as the basic structure, with a light-transmitting window 102 added in between.

[0059] Therefore, the optical sharing crystal module provided in this embodiment of the invention can realize visible light irradiation of different intensities on the photoelectric sensor, and then realize the position decoding and depth decoding of high-energy photons by utilizing the signal strength relationship of each photoelectric sensor in the photoelectric sensor array 20, thereby improving the information content and decoding resolution of the imaging device's response depth, and thus improving the spatial resolution and sensitivity ratio of the imaging device.

[0060] This invention also provides a height decoding method for a detector, which is applicable to the optical shared crystal module provided in any embodiment of this invention, and to the detector provided in any embodiment of this invention, and has corresponding beneficial effects. Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a height decoding method for a detector provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 8 The height decoding method for this detector includes the following steps: S110. Except for the scintillation crystals in the first row and first column, the first row and second column, the second row and first column, and the second row and second column, the decoding spots of the remaining scintillation crystals will be elongated in specific directions; all the elongated decoding spots will be mapped onto a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

[0061] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system in a detector height decoding method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. See also... Figure 9The x-axis, parallel to the direction of the decoded light spot's extension, represents the pixels of the decoded light spot, while the y-axis represents the event counts distributed along the x-axis. The decoded image is obtained by summing the signals of the events in the y-direction. The decoded light spot is a light spot that is illuminated onto the photoelectric sensor by a scintillation crystal.

[0062] S120, Resolution Acquisition Steps: Conduct a uniform irradiation experiment, followed by a series of collimation experiments at different heights to obtain the event count distribution in the y-direction at different collimation heights. Plot the curves showing the relationship between the peak position of the event count at different collimation heights, the response depth, and the height of the scintillation crystal. Interpolate or fit the corresponding curves to obtain the response depth decoding curve.

[0063] At different collimation heights, the angle at which light passes through the light-transmitting window varies, resulting in different peak positions and reaction depths on the photoelectric sensor.

[0064] S130. Calculate the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the response depth decoding curve, which is the half-maximum width of the pulse representing the response depth of the γ-photon in the scintillation crystal, to obtain the resolution of the response depth. The response depth decoding curve decodes the light distribution of the optically shared crystal module. The FWHM of the pulse representing the depth of interaction (DOI) of the γ-photon in the scintillation crystal directly reflects the dispersion of the measured γ-photon response depth. Specifically, the smaller the dispersion, the higher the response depth resolution, thus enabling the determination of the response depth resolution.

[0065] S140. Obtain reaction depth information through the resolution acquisition step of the optical shared crystal module for image reconstruction.

[0066] This configuration enables height decoding of the detector and provides high DOI decoding accuracy and position decoding capability.

[0067] The present invention also provides an emission imaging device, which may be, for example, a functional molecular imaging device, specifically a positron emission tomography (PET) device. The imaging device includes the light-sharing crystal module as provided in any embodiment of the present invention and has corresponding beneficial effects.

[0068] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used, with steps reordered, added, or deleted. For example, the steps described in this invention can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution of this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0069] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A shared optical crystal module, characterized in that, include: A scintillation crystal array, the size of which is 2N×2N, where N is a natural number; in the scintillation crystal array, except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st row and 1st column, the 1st row and 2Nth column, the 2Nth row and 1st column, and the 2Nth row and 2Nth column, the remaining scintillation crystals have a light-transmitting window on one side, and the light-transmitting windows of two adjacent scintillation crystals are arranged face to face; wherein, the light-transmitting windows are arranged regularly, and the light-transmitting windows in the 1st column and the 2Nth column are located in the 2nth row, N-1≧n≧1; the light-transmitting windows in the 1st row and the 2Nth row are located in the 2nth column, N-1≧n≧1.

2. The optical shared crystal module according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the scintillation crystal array, except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st and 2Nth columns, column light-transmitting windows are provided on the coupling surfaces of the remaining scintillation crystals located in the 2nth column and the adjacent 2n+1th column. The column light-transmitting windows are arranged at intervals, and the number of rows of the column light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th column does not coincide with the number of rows of the column light-transmitting windows in the 2nth column, where N-1≧n≧1. Except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st and 2Nth rows, row light-transmitting windows are provided on the coupling surfaces of the remaining scintillation crystals located in the 2nth row and the adjacent 2n+1th row. The row light-transmitting windows are arranged at intervals. The number of columns of the row light-transmitting windows in the 2(n+1)th row does not coincide with the number of columns of the row light-transmitting windows in the 2nth row, and N-1≧n≧1.

3. The optical shared crystal module according to claim 2, characterized in that, In each of the aforementioned columns of light-transmitting windows, a first light-transmitting window is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2nth column; a second light-transmitting window is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1; In each of the rows of light-transmitting windows, a third light-transmitting window is opened below the scintillation crystal located in the 2nth row; a fourth light-transmitting window is opened above the scintillation crystal located in the 2n+1th row, where N-1≧n≧1; In columns 1 and 2N, a fifth light-transmitting window is opened below the scintillation crystal located in row 2n, and a sixth light-transmitting window is opened above the scintillation crystal located in row 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1; In rows 1 and 2N, a seventh light-transmitting window is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal located in column 2n, and an eighth light-transmitting window is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal located in column 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1; The first light-transmitting window faces the second light-transmitting window, the third light-transmitting window faces the fourth light-transmitting window, the fifth light-transmitting window faces the sixth light-transmitting window, and the seventh light-transmitting window faces the eighth light-transmitting window.

4. The optical shared crystal module according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the scintillation crystal array, except for the scintillation crystals in the 1st and 2Nth columns, the remaining scintillation crystals have column light-transmitting windows on the coupling surface between the 2nth column and the adjacent 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1.

5. The optical shared crystal module according to claim 4, characterized in that, In each of the aforementioned columns of light-transmitting windows, a first light-transmitting window is opened on the right side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2nth column; a second light-transmitting window is opened on the left side of the scintillation crystal located in the 2n+1th column, where N-1≧n≧1; In columns 1 and 2N, a third light-transmitting window is opened below the scintillation crystal located in row 2n, and a fourth light-transmitting window is opened above the scintillation crystal located in row 2n+1, where N-1 ≧ n ≧ 1; The first light-transmitting window and the second light-transmitting window face each other, and the third light-transmitting window and the fourth light-transmitting window face each other.

6. The optical shared crystal module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The light-sharing crystal module has an upper end face and a lower end face. Each of the light-transmitting windows is located close to the upper end face and is flush with the upper end face of the scintillation crystal it is located on.

7. The optical shared crystal module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, A photoelectric sensor is coupled to four of the aforementioned scintillation crystals.

8. The optical shared crystal module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Each of the light-transmitting windows is filled with a light-transmitting medium, including optical adhesive, optical silicone grease, or gel.

9. A detector, characterized in that, include: The optical shared crystal module and photoelectric sensor array as described in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the photoelectric sensor array comprises a plurality of photoelectric sensors, and one of the plurality of photoelectric sensors is coupled to at least one of the scintillation crystals.

10. A height decoding method for the detector as described in claim 9, characterized in that, include: Except for the scintillation crystals in the first row and first column, the first row and second column, the first row and second column, the first row and second column, and the second row and second column, the decoding spots of the remaining scintillation crystals are elongated in specific directions. All the elongated decoding spots are mapped onto a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, where the x-axis is parallel to the direction of the decoding spot elongation and represents the pixel of the decoding spot, and the y-axis represents the event count distributed along the x-axis. The decoding map is obtained by summing the signals of the events in the y-direction. Resolution acquisition steps: Perform uniform irradiation experiments, followed by a series of collimation experiments at different heights to obtain the event count distribution in the y direction at different collimation heights. Plot the correspondence curves between the peak position of the light spot, the reaction depth, and the height of the scintillation crystal for the number of events at different collimation heights. Interpolate or fit the corresponding curves to obtain the reaction depth decoding curve. The half-maximum width of the response depth decoding curve is calculated, which is the half-maximum width of the pulse of the response depth of the γ photon in the scintillation crystal, to obtain the resolution of the response depth. The reaction depth information is obtained through the resolution acquisition step of the optically shared crystal module for image reconstruction.

11. A transmissive imaging device, characterized in that, Includes the optical shared crystal module as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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