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Assignees
Member
Kromek Group plcKromek Group plc develops advanced detection technologies for radiological, nuclear, and biological threats using Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) solid-state detectors. The company offers manufacturing and R&D for high-resolution gamma and neutron detectors, networked and wearable monitoring devices, and automated pathogen detection platforms. Its solutions serve the civil nuclear, medical, environmental, defense, and public health sectors worldwide, enhancing safety, operational efficiency, and health security.
Kromek Group plc develops advanced detection technologies for radiological, nuclear, and biological threats using Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) solid-state detectors. The company offers manufacturing and R&D for high-resolution gamma and neutron detectors, networked and wearable monitoring devices, and automated pathogen detection platforms. Its solutions serve the civil nuclear, medical, environmental, defense, and public health sectors worldwide, enhancing safety, operational efficiency, and health security.
Publication Number
US-10502844-B2
Publication Date
2019-12-10
Expiration Date
Abstract
An imaging method and device are described for improving the performance of a gamma camera by optimizing a figure of merit that depends upon cost, efficiency, and spatial resolution. In a modular gamma camera comprising a tiled array of gamma detector modules, the performance figure of merit can be optimized by sparsely placing gamma detector modules within the gamma camera, optimizing collimation, and providing means for detector and/or collimator motion. Sparse gamma cameras can be constructed as flat or curved panels, and elliptical or circular rings.
Core Innovation
An imaging method and device for improving the performance of a gamma camera by optimizing a figure of merit that depends upon cost, efficiency, and spatial resolution is disclosed. In a modular gamma camera comprising a tiled array of gamma detector modules, the performance figure of merit can be optimized by sparsely placing gamma detector modules within the gamma camera, optimizing collimation, and providing means for detector and/or collimator motion.
This invention addresses the higher cost of solid-state semiconductor gamma detectors relative to conventional scintillator-based gamma cameras and the need to decrease the cost of solid-state gamma cameras. The disclosure proposes decreasing cost principally by sparsely placing detector modules and compensating with optimized collimation and image reconstruction to meet application performance requirements.
The method includes predetermining performance requirements for specific applications, choosing a gamma camera architecture (such as flat or curved panel, or elliptical or circular ring), choosing a collimation scheme, then optimizing the figure of merit through simulations by simulating a source distribution, modeling the physics of the system and acquisition sequence, iteratively reconstructing model data, and calculating a figure of merit for that configuration. Optimization steps require sparsely placing gamma detector modules, optimizing collimation, and potentially providing a means for detector and/or collimator motion.
Claims Coverage
The patent contains two independent claims (claims 1 and 15) that disclose eight main inventive features related to design and apparatus for sparse tiled gamma detector arrays, collimation schemes, simulation-based optimization, and a computer-implemented design workflow.
Design of a gamma camera architecture with sparse tiled arrays
An imaging method and a gamma camera comprising a collimator and at least one sparse tiled array of gamma detectors, wherein the gamma camera architecture comprises a collimator scheme and a pattern of the at least one tiled array of gamma detectors (claims 1 and 15).
Collimator scheme that compensates for motion and missing detectors
A collimator scheme that compensates for a gamma camera motion and missing detectors in the at least one sparse tiled array (claims 1 and 15).
Selecting a collimator scheme from multiple schemes
Selecting a collimator scheme for the collimator from a plurality of collimator schemes as part of the designing step (claims 1 and 15).
Selecting a pattern of the tiled array including sparse placement
Selecting a pattern of the at least one tiled array, wherein selecting a pattern comprises sparsely placing a gamma detector within the gamma camera and comprises using at least one scintillator gamma camera and at least one semiconductor gamma camera and/or removing detectors or removing rows or columns or removing detectors in a checkerboard pattern (claims 1, 9-11, 15, 22-25).
Simulating a gamma emission object and modeling system response
Simulating an object of the gamma camera application comprising at least one gamma emission source and modeling a response of the selected collimator scheme and selected pattern of the at least one tiled array to gamma emissions from the simulated object (claims 1 and 15).
Generating simulated data and identifying a performance figure of merit
Receiving a simulated data set for the model and identifying a performance figure of merit for the model from the simulated data set, wherein the performance figure of merit comprises an efficiency divided by a product of spatial resolution squared and a gamma camera cost (claims 1, 14, and 15, 28).
Iterative selection of architecture based on simulation and figure of merit
Identifying a gamma camera architecture by iteratively performing the selecting a collimator scheme, selecting a pattern, simulating, modeling, and receiving by varying at least one of: collimator scheme and pattern, and selecting a gamma camera architecture for the gamma camera application based upon the performance figure of merit of the respective gamma camera architecture (claims 1 and 15).
Computer-implemented gamma camera design stored in memory
A gamma camera comprising a memory device that stores instructions executable by a processor to receive application requirements, design a gamma camera architecture as recited, perform selection, simulation, modeling, receive simulated data, identify a performance figure of merit, and identify a gamma camera architecture by iterative performance evaluation (claim 15).
The independent claims describe a design and apparatus framework that combines sparse tiled detector placement, collimator schemes that compensate for detector sparsity and motion, simulation-based modeling and iterative optimization using a performance figure of merit, and a computer-implemented workflow embodied in the gamma camera.
Stated Advantages
Improving the performance of a gamma camera by optimizing a figure of merit that depends upon cost, efficiency, and spatial resolution.
Decreasing the cost of solid-state gamma cameras principally by sparsely placing detector modules and compensating with collimator design and optional detector and/or collimator motion, potentially offering an additional factor of two or more reduction in cost.
Improved image contrast due to better energy resolution of semiconductor detectors which permits a narrower energy window and better discrimination against scattered gamma photons.
Smaller and lighter SPECT system gantry with a smaller footprint due to semiconductor detectors occupying a smaller volume and requiring less heavy metal shielding.
Higher efficiencies achievable with ring CZT gamma cameras, which can be translated into a clinical tradeoff of better image quality, shorter examination times, or lower patient doses.
Documented Applications
Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) in nuclear medicine (molecular imaging) to image gamma photon emission following injection of a radioisotope labelled tracer.
Security screening detection of contraband radioactive sources.
Astronomical mapping of x-ray or gamma photon sources.
Baggage scanning using coded aperture x-ray scatter (diffraction) imaging.
Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) as an example application of pixel-registered collimators.
Small-animal preclinical SPECT and human cardiac SPECT as contexts where multi-pinhole collimation and modular detectors have been used.
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