Nuclear medical imaging device

Abstract

An apparatus for imaging a field of view, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises an x-ray source positioned adjacent to the field of view, a source mask located between the x-ray source and the field of view having at least one source aperture defined therethrough, and an emission detector, such as a gamma camera, adjacent to the field of view. The apparatus may allow substantially concurrent x-ray imaging and gamma imaging of the field of view.

1 .- 27 . (canceled) 
   
   
       28 . An apparatus for characterizing a field of view, the apparatus comprising:
 an x-ray source located proximate to the field of view, the x-ray source being operable to provide x-rays;   a source mask located between the x-ray source and the field of view, the source mask having a source aperture through which the x-rays pass;   an emission detector located proximate to the field of view, the emission detector being operable to detect gamma emission from the field of view and to provide an emission signal;   an x-ray detector located so as to receive a detected x-ray beam after the detected x-ray beam passes through the field of view, the detected x-ray beam being defined by the source aperture and a detector aperture associated with the x-ray detector, the x-ray detector being operable to provide an x-ray detector signal;   an x-ray shield having a plurality of shield apertures therein, the shield apertures being configured so as to allow gamma emission from the field of view to reach the emission detector through at least one shield aperture,   the x-ray shield being configured to prevent x-rays passing through the source aperture from reaching the emission detector,   the apparatus being a component of a medical imaging system operable to perform x-ray transmission imaging of the field of view using the x-ray detector signal, and further operable to perform gamma emission imaging of the field of view using the emission signal.   
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the x-ray detector being supported by the x-ray shield. 
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the emission detector being a solid state gamma detector. 
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the emission detector including a scintillator. 
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the scintillator being sodium iodide. 
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the x-ray detector being a semiconductor x-ray detector. 
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the detected x-ray beam being substantially non-divergent and having a diameter between approximately 1 mm and approximately 1.5 mm. 
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the source mask including a plurality of source apertures,
 the apparatus comprising a plurality of x-ray detectors, each x-ray detector having an associated detector aperture,   there being a plurality of detected x-ray beams, each x-ray detector being associated with one of the plurality of detected x-ray beams.   
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , the apparatus further including an actuator operable to move the source mask relative to the x-ray source, so as to modify the plurality of detected x-ray beams. 
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , the plurality of source apertures being arranged substantially in a first arc, the plurality of detector apertures being arranged in a third arc. 
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the x-ray source being pulsed between an on state and an off state so as to provide x-ray pulses having a pulse duration between approximately 0.01 milliseconds and approximately 200 milliseconds. 
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , the pulse interval being over one hundred times greater than the pulse length. 
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , the medical imaging system being operable to provide a x-ray transmission images and a gamma emission image of the field of view over a substantially concurrent time interval, the gamma emission image being obtained using the emission signal obtained when the x-ray source is in the off state. 
   
   
       41 . An apparatus for providing an emission image and an x-ray image of a field of view, the apparatus comprising:
 a pulsed x-ray source, having an on state and an off state and operable to provide x-ray pulses having a pulse duration and a pulse interval between pulses during which the pulsed x-ray source is in the off state, the pulse duration being between approximately 0.01 milliseconds seconds and approximately 200 milliseconds, the pulse interval being at least 10 times longer than the pulse length;   an emission detector, providing an emission signal in response to gamma emissions from the field of view; and   an x-ray detector, providing an x-ray detector signal in response to x-rays passing through the field of view and incident on the x-ray detector;   the apparatus being operable to form an x-ray image of the field of view using the x-ray detector signal, and operable to form a gamma emission image of the field of view using the emission detector signal obtained when the x-ray source is in the off state,   the apparatus being operable to form the x-ray image and the gamma emission over a substantially concurrent time period,   the apparatus being a medical imaging apparatus.   
   
   
       42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , the emission detector being a solid state gamma detector. 
   
   
       43 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , the emission detector including a scintillator. 
   
   
       44 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , the scintillator being sodium iodide. 
   
   
       45 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , the x-ray detector being a semiconductor x-ray detector.