Rotatable Pinhole Collimator for SPECT Scanner Focus Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing SPECT scanners lack an optimal combination of sensitivity, selectivity, and flexibility, particularly in adjusting the focus volume for different scanning areas, which limits their universality and effectiveness in imaging objects of varying sizes and properties.
Innovation Solution
A SPECT scanner with a collimator featuring rotatable pinhole bodies that allow for adjustable positioning and sizing of the focus volume by rotating pinhole bodies around axes parallel to the longitudinal direction, enabling flexible adjustment of the collimator's properties such as sensitivity and field of view without moving the object, and allowing for selective opening and closing of pinholes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the collimator is designed with a fixed focus volume for a specific object size, then the imaging precision for that object size is improved, but the adaptability to different object sizes and properties deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the pinhole bodies rotatable around axes parallel to the longitudinal direction. This allows the collimator to dynamically adjust its focus volume position and size according to different imaging requirements, transforming a static fixed-focus system into a dynamic adjustable system that can adapt to various object sizes and properties while maintaining optimal imaging precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by enabling adjustment of the pinhole bodies' rotational positions and orientations. This changes the geometric parameters of the collimator system, allowing the focus volume to be repositioned and resized to match different object characteristics, thereby achieving both high imaging precision and broad adaptability across various imaging scenarios
2Reliability
If the collimator is designed with high sensitivity through multiple pinholes, then the detection capability is improved, but the selectivity and flexibility in adjusting the focus volume deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the collimator into multiple independent rotatable pinhole bodies, each capable of individual adjustment. This segmentation allows selective activation and positioning of different pinhole groups, enabling the system to maintain high sensitivity through multiple active pinholes while simultaneously achieving flexibility by independently adjusting which pinhole bodies are active and their respective orientations to define the focus volume
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic adjustability of each pinhole body's rotational position enables the system to flexibly configure the focus volume while maintaining high sensitivity. By rotating pinhole bodies to optimal positions, the system can concentrate detection capability on regions of interest while still utilizing multiple pinholes for high sensitivity, resolving the contradiction between sensitivity and flexibility
3Adaptability or versatility
If the collimator is designed with a large field of view to accommodate different object sizes, then the adaptability is improved, but the imaging precision and sensitivity for specific regions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling the collimator to provide different imaging qualities in different regions through selective pinhole body positioning. By rotating specific pinhole bodies to optimal orientations, the system can concentrate high precision and sensitivity on the region of interest while maintaining a larger overall field of view coverage, achieving both broad adaptability and localized high-quality imaging
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic rotational adjustment of pinhole bodies allows the system to adapt the focus volume and imaging parameters in real-time based on the specific imaging task. This enables the collimator to maintain a large field of view for adaptability while dynamically optimizing the imaging precision and sensitivity for the specific region being examined, resolving the contradiction between broad coverage and localized precision
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 solution enhances the scanner's flexibility and accuracy, enabling optimal imaging of objects of different sizes and properties by smoothly adjusting the focus volume, thereby improving sensitivity and sampling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a collimator that extends in a circumferential direction thereof at least partially around the object space, wherein the collimator comprises a set of multiple pinholes each of which comprises a field of view with a main pass-through direction for gamma radiation emitted by the object
Implementation Method 2
the collimator is provided with at least one rotatable pinhole body with at least one pinhole therein, which pinhole body is rotatably arranged in the collimator around at least one corresponding axis of rotation
Data Source
AI summary
A SPECT scanner for making images of an object using gamma radiation comprises a collimator that extends along a longitudinal direction around an object space and that comprises a set of pinholes for the gamma radiation, a detection device for gamma radiation that is allowed to pass through from the object space by the pinholes, and an object carrier for bringing the object into the object space along the longitudinal direction. At least one pinhole is provided in a pinhole body that is rotatable in the collimator around an axis of rotation. Because the pinholes themselves rather than the collimator are made rotatable, the entire object space with the object therein can be advantageously scanned without having to move the object. The properties of the collimator can also easily be adjusted, even during scanning.