Radioactive emission detector equipped with a position tracking system

Abstract

A radioactive emission probe in communication with a position tracking system and the use thereof in a variety of systems and methods of medical imaging and procedures, are provided. Specifically, wide-aperture collimation-deconvolution algorithms are provided, for obtaining a high-efficiency, high resolution image of a radioactivity emitting source, by scanning the radioactivity emitting source with a probe of a wide-aperture collimator, and at the same time, monitoring the position of the radioactive emission probe, at very fine time intervals, to obtain the equivalence of fine-aperture collimation. The blurring effect of the wide aperture is then corrected mathematically. Furthermore, an imaging method by depth calculations is provided, based on the attenuation of photons of different energies, which are emitted from the same source, coupled with position monitoring.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An intracorporeal-imaging head, comprising:
 a housing, which comprises:
 at least one radioactive-emission probe, mounted on said housing, adapted to image radioactive-emission from at least two different viewing angles of a same portion of a tissue without movement of the housing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 1 , further comprising an imaging system adapted to image said portion. 
     
     
         3 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 2 , wherein the imaging system is one of a fluoroscope, a computed tomographer, a magnetic resonance imager, an ultrasound imager, an impedance imager, and an optical camera. 
     
     
         4 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 1  wherein the at least one radioactive-emission probe is at least one wide-angle collimator probe. 
     
     
         5 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 4  wherein the wide-angle collimator probe has a viewing angle of between 81° and 280°. 
     
     
         6 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a data processor for correcting blurring effects from said wide-angle collimator probe.   
     
     
         7 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 6 , wherein said wide-angle collimator probe is adapted to obtain image data at a first resolution or less, and wherein said data processor is further adapted for forming a three-dimensional model of said portion of said tissue, wherein said three-dimensional model is in a second resolution, higher than said first resolution. 
     
     
         8 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 6 , wherein said data processor corrects the blurring effects using a collimation-deconvolution algorithm based on account estimation of a transfer function. 
     
     
         9 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 6 , wherein said data processor corrects the blurring effects by calculating a value of readings for each voxel based on multiple readings from view points of said probe; and using a collimation-deconvolution algorithm to reconstruct voxels of the radiation map with diminished or no blurriness. 
     
     
         10 . The intracorporeal-imaging head of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a position tracking system in a fixed positional relation with said at least one radioactive-emission probe, for providing positional information for said at least one radioactive-emission probe.   
     
     
         11 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 10  wherein the position tracking system is one of a fluoroscope, a computed tomographer, a magnetic resonance imager, an ultrasound imager, an impedance imager, and an optical camera. 
     
     
         12 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 10 , wherein the position tracking system comprises an imaging system. 
     
     
         13 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 10  wherein the position tracking system is adapted to track acoustic electromagnetic radiation or magnetic fields. 
     
     
         14 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 10  wherein the at least one radioactive-emission probe is at least one wide-angle collimator probe. 
     
     
         15 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 10  wherein the wide-angle collimator probe has a viewing angle of between 81° and 280°. 
     
     
         16 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 10 , wherein said wide-angle collimator probe is adapted to obtain image data at a first resolution or less, and wherein the intracorporeal imaging head further comprises a data processor for forming a three-dimensional model of said portion of said tissue by data processing said image data at said first resolution and positional information received from said position tracking system, wherein said three-dimensional model is in a second resolution, higher than said first resolution. 
     
     
         17 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 1 , wherein said radioactive probe comprises a plurality of radiation detectors. 
     
     
         18 . The intracorporeal imaging head of  claim 1 , wherein said radioactive probe comprises a plurality of single pixel detector units configured to generate image data from each of said pixels. 
     
     
         19 . A flexible probe, comprising:
 an intracorporeal imaging head according to  claim 1 ; and   an ultrasonic imager sized for rectal insertion for imaging of prostate.   
     
     
         20 . A flexible probe, comprising:
 an intracorporeal imaging head according to  claim 1 ; and   an optical imager sized for rectal insertion for imaging of colon.   
     
     
         21 . A device for obtaining an image of a radioactivity emitting source in a system-of-coordinates, the device comprising:
 a moveable radioactive emission detector;   said radioactive emission detector being moveable to perform a plurality of radioactivity measurements of a radioactivity emitting source from a plurality of locations and directions;   a position tracking device which monitors a position of said radioactive emission detector in relation to said system of coordinates; and   a data processor which reconstructs an image of the radioactivity emitting source from a plurality of said radioactivity measurements with a varying spatial resolution and obtains a positional distribution of said radioactive emitting source in relation to said system of coordinates using measurements of a same area from multiple locations having different resolution according to said position.   
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein said position tracking device is comprised of a plurality of accelerometers, or a plurality of potentiometers, or is sound wave based or radio frequency based, or electromagnetic field based or optically based. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein said position tracking device is responsive to a change in the position of said detector. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein said detector is carried by a moveable arm, and said position tracking device is responsive to movement of said arm. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said moveable arm is articulated. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein said detector performs said plurality of radioactivity measurements at different resolutions. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein said data processor reconstructs said image according to radioactivity measurements having different resolutions. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein said resolutions varies according to the distance of said detector from said radiation source. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein said spatial resolution is higher for radioactivity measurements as the detector approaches the radiation source. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein said radioactive emission detector is configured for free-hand scanning, and the position of the detector is monitored by said position tracking device in a first system-of-coordinates, and further comprising:
 a surgical instrument whose position is monitored by an additional position tracking device in a second system-of-coordinates; and   at least one data processor designed and configured to receive data inputs from said position tracking device, from said radioactive emission detector and from said additional position tracking device and to calculate the position of the surgical instrument and the radiopharmaceutical up-taking portion of the body component in a common system-of-coordinates.   
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein said first position tracking device and said additional position tracking device are comprised in a single unit. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 30 , further comprising a display device which serves for visual co-presentation of the position of said surgical instrument and the radiopharmaceutical up-taking portion of the body component. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein said surgical instrument is selected from the group consisting of laser probe, a cardiac catheter, an angioplastic catheter, an endoscopic probe, a biopsy needle, an ultrasonic probe, fiber optic scopes, aspiration tubes, a laparoscopy probe, a thermal probe and a suction/irrigation probe. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein said common system of coordinates is a three dimensional space. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said system of coordinates is a three dimensional space. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said data processor is responsive to said plurality of said radioactivity measurements to reconstruct a three dimensional image of said radioactivity emitting source.