Multi-detector Imaging System for Small Structure Sensitivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Nuclear medicine imaging is time-consuming and prone to errors due to patient movement, especially when imaging smaller structures, as conventional large detectors require extensive data acquisition and have limited maneuverability, leading to decreased sensitivity and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising multiple small imaging detectors mounted on a gantry, each with an independently movable field of view, allowing for adjustable collimation and positioning to focus on structures of interest, enabling faster data acquisition and improved sensitivity by combining image data from multiple detectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a large size imaging detector is used to image smaller structures, then the entire structure can be captured within the field of view, but the sensitivity decreases due to collecting less useful information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a large imaging detector into multiple smaller independent detectors, each with its own field of view. This segmentation allows each detector to focus on specific regions of interest, improving sensitivity by concentrating detection resources on smaller structures while maintaining the ability to image larger areas through coordinated operation of multiple detectors.
2Reliability
If a conventional large imaging detector is rotated by a gantry to acquire data from multiple axial positions, then sufficient data for volumetric imaging can be obtained, but the scan time becomes long and patient throughput is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the imaging task across multiple detectors positioned at different axial locations. Each detector simultaneously acquires data from its respective position, eliminating the need for sequential rotation and gantry movement. This parallel acquisition approach maintains complete volumetric imaging capability while dramatically reducing scan time and improving patient throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-detector system requiring rotation in the azimuthal dimension to a multi-detector array distributed along the axial dimension. This dimensional change allows simultaneous data acquisition from multiple positions without mechanical rotation, fundamentally reducing acquisition time while maintaining complete spatial sampling for volumetric imaging.
3Area of stationary object
If a large size imaging detector is positioned close to a patient for detailed imaging, then the field of view covers the entire structure, but the detector has limited maneuverability due to its geometry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large detector into multiple smaller detectors that can be independently positioned and maneuvered. Each small detector can be easily moved to optimal positions close to the patient, and their combined fields of view collectively cover the entire structure of interest, thus maintaining both comprehensive coverage and operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for imaging a structure of interest comprises a plurality of imaging detectors mounted on a gantry. Each of the plurality of imaging detectors has a field of view (FOV), is independently movable with respect to each other, and is positioned to image a structure of interest within a patient. A data acquisition system receives image data detected within the FOV of each of the plurality of imaging detectors.