Gantry Alignment Using Intrinsic Scintillator Radiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing gantry alignment procedures for multimodality medical scanners, which rely on radioactive sources, are time-consuming and pose health and safety risks due to the need for human handling of radioactive materials.
Innovation Solution
A framework for gantry alignment that uses intrinsic radiation from scintillator crystals to acquire transmission images of a non-radioactive structure, eliminating the need for radioactive sources and enabling safer and more efficient alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radioactive sources are used for gantry alignment, then alignment can be performed, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and poses health and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the radioactive source from the alignment system, replacing it with a non-radioactive phantom object. This removes the harmful radioactive component while preserving the alignment function through alternative means (using scanner-generated radiation and image processing).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a non-radioactive phantom object as an intermediary medium that enables alignment without radioactive materials. The phantom serves as a reference object that can be imaged by both modalities, replacing the direct radioactive source approach with an indirect measurement method.
2Ease of operation
If radioactive sources are handled repeatedly, then alignment can be performed, but health and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful radioactive source into a beneficial non-radioactive phantom that can be safely handled. The harmful radiation risk is eliminated while the alignment function is maintained through the use of the phantom and scanner-generated radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the scanner system to generate its own alignment reference data using its intrinsic radiation and imaging capabilities. The system serves itself by using its own CT and PET/MR imaging functions to capture phantom images and compute alignment transformations, eliminating the need for external radioactive sources.
3Measurement precision
If radioactive sources are used, then alignment data can be acquired, but licensing overheads and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, regulated radioactive sources with inexpensive, non-radioactive phantom objects. The phantom can be a simple physical object or even a virtual construct, eliminating the need for costly radioactive material procurement, licensing, and disposal infrastructure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the time and cost associated with gantry alignment, minimizes health and safety risks, and eliminates the need for radioactive source handling and licensing overheads.
Implementation Method 1
First image data of a non-radioactive structure is acquired by using intrinsic radiation emitted by scintillator crystals of detectors
Data Source
AI summary
A framework for gantry alignment of a multimodality medical scanner. First image data of a non-radioactive structure is acquired by using intrinsic radiation emitted by scintillator crystals of detectors in a first gantry of the multimodality medical scanner. Second image data of the non-radioactive structure is acquired using a second gantry for another modality of the multimodality medical scanner. Image reconstruction may be performed based on the first and second image data of the non-radioactive structure to generate first and second reconstructed image volumes. A gantry alignment transformation that aligns the first and second reconstructed image volumes may then be determined.