Pinhole Shutter Gamma Detector for Resolution and Weight Trade-offs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Focused pinhole gamma detection devices are bulky and heavy, making them inflexible for use, particularly when trying to achieve high resolution and sensitivity, and they suffer from image overlap issues that complicate data reconstruction.
Innovation Solution
A pinhole shutter device with a control unit that selectively opens and closes pinhole systems, allowing for versatile operation without increasing the device's size, enabling large opening angles and improved resolution and sensitivity, while preventing image overlap through controlled pinhole switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the collimator is made larger to achieve good resolution and sensitivity, then the imaging performance is improved, but the device becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The collimator is divided into multiple pinhole systems, each with multiple pinholes arranged in specific patterns. This segmentation allows the device to achieve high resolution through multiple focused views while maintaining a more compact overall structure compared to a single large collimator system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a shutter device that can dynamically open and close individual pinholes or pinhole systems. This dynamic control allows the device to adapt its effective aperture and field of view during operation, achieving high resolution when needed while maintaining compactness through selective activation of pinhole groups.
2Measurement precision
If the collimator is made larger to achieve good sensitivity, then the detection capability is improved, but the device becomes bulky and difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The collimator is divided into multiple pinhole systems with multiple pinholes each, allowing the sensitive detection area to be distributed across multiple smaller units. This segmentation maintains high detection sensitivity while enabling a more compact and manageable device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter device enables dynamic control of pinhole activation, allowing the system to optimize sensitivity by opening only the necessary pinholes for each imaging task. This dynamic control improves ease of operation by allowing selective engagement of detection elements rather than requiring all pinholes to be active simultaneously.
3Area of stationary object
If neighbouring pinhole systems have overlapping fields of view, then the coverage area is increased, but image overlap complicates data reconstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter device provides dynamic control over which pinholes are active, allowing the system to configure pinhole patterns that minimize or eliminate image overlap on the detector. By selectively opening and closing pinholes, the system can maintain wide coverage while avoiding the reconstruction complexities associated with overlapping images.
Solution Approach 2:
The pinhole patterns and shutter configurations are designed in advance to pre-establish non-overlapping or minimally overlapping fields of view. This preliminary arrangement of pinhole systems ensures that images from different pinholes do not overlap significantly, simplifying the reconstruction process while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
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
The solution enhances the device's flexibility and imaging capabilities by allowing for quick scanning of larger object areas without rotating the collimator, improving resolution and sensitivity, and reducing radiation load, while maintaining a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
A focused pinhole gamma detection device comprises a detector and a collimator provided with a plurality of pinhole systems, each system having a plurality of pinholes, wherein for at least one of, and preferably each of, the pinholes of the pinhole systems a portion of the focus volume is outside the field of view of the pinhole
Data Source
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AI summary
A focused pinhole gamma detection device comprises a detector sensitive to gamma-photons, a collimator (20), and an object carrier. The collimator is provided between the detector and the object space and has a plurality of pinhole systems (22-1,22-2,...). Each pinhole system has a plurality of pinholes having mutually non-parallel central lines, having a mutual distance d that is smaller than a distance d' between any of the at least two pinholes of said pinhole system on the one hand and any pinhole of any other pinhole system on the other hand and having a pinhole system field of view, that is composed of the fields of view of the plurality of pinholes of the pinhole system. In the device at least a plurality of, and preferably all, pinhole systems are constructed and arranged so as to establish a common overlap of their pinhole system fields of view, said overlap defining a focus volume, that is seen by said plurality of pinhole systems, said all pinhole systems, respectively, of the device. At least one pinhole system is arranged and constructed such that, for at least one of, and preferably each of the pinholes of said pinhole system, a portion of the focus volume is outside the field of view of said pinhole. The detection device further comprises a pinhole shutter device (25) with a control unit that is constructed and arranged to selectively switch a transmission state of at least one pinhole of at least one pinhole system between an open state and a closed state under the control of the control unit.