Dedicated mobile high resolution prostate PET imager with an insertable transrectal probe
Inventors
Majewski, Stanislaw • Proffitt, James
Assignees
Jefferson Science Associates LLC
Publication Number
US-7858944-B2
Publication Date
2010-12-28
Expiration Date
2029-01-23
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Abstract
A dedicated mobile PET imaging system to image the prostate and surrounding organs. The imaging system includes an outside high resolution PET imager placed close to the patient's torso and an insertable and compact transrectal probe that is placed in close proximity to the prostate and operates in conjunction with the outside imager. The two detector systems are spatially co-registered to each other. The outside imager is mounted on an open rotating gantry to provide torso-wide 3D images of the prostate and surrounding tissue and organs. The insertable probe provides closer imaging, high sensitivity, and very high resolution predominately 2D view of the prostate and immediate surroundings. The probe is operated in conjunction with the outside imager and a fast data acquisition system to provide very high resolution reconstruction of the prostate and surrounding tissue and organs.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a dedicated mobile PET imaging system designed specifically to image the prostate and surrounding organs. This system combines an outside high resolution PET imager placed close to the patient's torso with an insertable, compact transrectal probe positioned in close proximity to the prostate. The two detector systems are spatially co-registered through an electronic sensor positioning system and work together to produce a combined high resolution image of the prostate and its surroundings.
The outside imager is mounted on an open rotating gantry that provides torso-wide 3D images of the prostate and nearby tissues and organs. The insertable probe offers closer imaging with higher sensitivity and very high resolution predominantly in a 2D view of the prostate and immediate surroundings. A fast data acquisition system operates in conjunction with the probe and outside imager, enabling very high resolution reconstruction during the same scan session.
The problem being solved is that standard PET imagers have poor spatial resolution inadequate for imaging small organs like the prostate and are bulky devices requiring patient transport to dedicated imaging rooms. Existing mobile PET imagers do not meet the combined size, resolution, and sensitivity requirements needed for prostate imaging. Prior approaches have had limited angular sampling, fixed outside detectors with restricted fields of view, or limited imaging volume around the prostate, which prevented full-scale torque 3D tomographic imaging of the prostate region and surrounding organs.
Claims Coverage
The patent claims include one independent claim covering the entire dedicated mobile PET imager system and enumerates several inventive features related to the components and operation of the system. Below are the main inventive features derived from the independent claim.
Dedicated mobile PET imager with coordinated outside and insertable detectors
A dedicated mobile PET imager that includes a patient bed, an open rotating gantry mounted around the bed, and a high resolution outside PET imager with two pairs of mechanically separate detector heads mounted above and below the patient. The system has an insertable compact transrectal PET probe placed close to the prostate. Both the outside imager and transrectal probe are spatially co-registered by an electronic sensor positioning system.
Open rotating gantry and detector heads with angular rotation capability
The detector heads can operate in a static mode or be rotated dynamically with respect to the patient's torso on the rotating gantry, enabling full angular projective sampling of the prostate region for enhanced 3D tomographic reconstruction. The detector heads can be rotated to new viewing angles and then fixed to optimize spatial resolution of the prostate region.
High-resolution imaging capabilities of the outside imager and transrectal probe
The outside PET imager provides a torso-wide field of view of 20 to 30 cm in width with 3D reconstruction resolution between 1.5 to 2.0 mm. The transrectal probe provides a higher resolution, high sensitivity predominantly 2D view with at least 1 mm full width half maximum (FWHM) resolution and a 2D reconstruction resolution between 1.0 to 1.5 mm over its limited field of view.
Fast multi-channel data acquisition system
A high-speed multi-channel data acquisition and processing system capable of recording data with at least a 200 kHz trigger rate in list mode, allowing for prompt limited data analysis, fast replay, and image reconstruction during the same scan session.
Detector head components and compositions
Detector heads include a scintillator gamma sensor made of pixellated or plate crystal scintillator materials such as LSO, LYSO, GSO, BGO, LaBr3, NaI(Tl), CsI(Tl), or CsI(Na). The photodetectors are selected from a group that includes standard photomultipliers, multi-element photomultipliers, position sensitive photomultipliers, flat panel photomultipliers, microchannel plate photomultipliers, avalanche photodiode arrays, and silicon photomultipliers with various light guide options.
Transrectal probe photodetector and scintillator design
The transrectal probe includes a scintillator gamma sensor with similar materials as outside detectors and a solid state photodetector selected from avalanche photodiodes and silicon photomultipliers, enabling compact and high-resolution imaging.
Outside imager photodetector configuration
The outside imager includes a continuous array of flat position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs) coupled to a pixellated scintillator sensor array of 24×24 LYSO pixels sized 2×2×15 mm with a 2.1 mm pitch, with a coupler window designed for better optical coupling and efficiency.
Alternative outside imager using silicon photomultipliers
The outside imager can alternatively use SiPM photodetectors with approximately 5 cm×5 cm active field of view modules composed of sixteen 3 mm×3 mm readout pixels arranged in a 4×4 array, providing modular replacement of PSPMTs.
Transrectal probe physical and optical design
The transrectal probe includes a scintillator array with 1.5 mm pitch by 10 mm pixels, a photodetector array of silicon photomultipliers or avalanche photodiodes covering an active field of view of approximately 2.5 cm by 5 cm, and a light spreader optical window coupling the scintillator array to the photodetector array.
The claims comprehensively cover a dedicated mobile prostate PET imaging system that integrates an open rotating gantry-mounted outside imager and an insertable transrectal probe, with coordinated spatial registration, advanced detector materials and configurations, high resolution imaging capabilities, and a fast multi-channel data acquisition system to enable detailed 3D and 2D imaging of the prostate and surrounding organs.
Stated Advantages
Provides a large active field of view including torso-wide coverage of 40 cm or more by at least 10 cm wide.
Includes detector modules positioned in front of and behind the patient to improve reconstruction resolution of the prostate region.
Achieves a 3D reconstruction resolution of 1.5 to 2.0 mm over the body slice involved with the outside imager.
Provides 2D reconstruction resolution of 1.0 to 1.5 mm using the insertable probe in coincidence with the outside imager.
Features a rotating open geometry gantry that enables 360 degree angular sampling in the 3D imaging mode with the outside imager.
The transrectal probe images a larger portion of tissue surrounding the prostate compared to prior art probes.
Incorporates a multi-channel fast data acquisition system capable of handling a trigger rate of at least 200 kHz to allow prompt analysis and fast image reconstruction during the same scan session.
Documented Applications
Imaging the prostate gland and surrounding organs for diagnostic and surgical assistance.
Providing immediate biopsy guidance and cancerous lesion detection during surgery.
Enabling high resolution reconstruction of the prostate and neighboring tissue with combined transrectal probe and outside PET detector data.
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