Positron emission tomography system with hybrid detection geometries and sampling

1. A gamma ray detection system, comprising:

a plurality of detector modules having a same length, each detector module being configured to detect gamma rays generated from positron annihilation events,

wherein a first detector module of the plurality of detector modules is shifted by a predetermined distance in an axial direction from a second detector module of the plurality of detector modules that is adjacent to the first detector module to generate a shifted detector having a central scanning region, a first peripheral scanning region, and a second peripheral scanning region so that the effective overall axial field of view of the shifted detector that is useable for imaging is larger than an axial field of view of the detector modules when arranged unshifted, the predetermined distance being less than the length of the detector modules.

2. The gamma ray detection system according to claim 1 , wherein every other detector module included in the plurality of detector modules is shifted by the predetermined distance in the axial direction.

3. The gamma ray detection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a processor configured to collect and process event data obtained from each detector module of the plurality of detector modules; and

a motor to rotate the plurality of detector modules by a predetermined multiple of a width of each detector module in response to a command received from the processor.

4. The gamma ray detection system according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a sensing unit configured to detect and store an angle of rotation associated with the plurality of detector modules as a function of time,

wherein the processor is configured to reconstruct an image using the collected event data and the detected angle of rotation.

5. The gamma ray detection system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a detector shift controller configured to change the predetermined distance by which the first detector module is shifted from the second detector module based on a region of interest to be imaged.

6. The gamma ray detection system of claim 1 , wherein the central scanning region of the shifted detector includes same-sized portions of both the first and second detector modules.

7. A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) system, comprising:

a plurality of radiation detector modules having a same length and arranged in a cylindrical ring, each detector module being configured to detect gamma rays generated from positron annihilation events,

wherein a first detector module of the plurality of detector modules is shifted by a predetermined distance in an axial direction from a second detector module of the plurality of detector modules that is adjacent to the first detector module to generate a shifted detector having a central scanning region, a first peripheral scanning region, and a second peripheral scanning region so that the effective overall axial field of view of the shifted detector that is useable for imaging is larger than an axial field of view of the detector modules when arranged unshifted, the predetermined distance being less than the length of the detector modules, wherein

the central scanning region has an axial field of view equal to the length of the detector modules minus the predetermined distance,

the first peripheral scanning region has an axial field of view equal to the predetermined distance, and

the second peripheral scanning region has an axial field of view equal to the predetermined distance.

8. The PET system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a processor configured to collect and process event data and to combine an annihilation event corresponding to the central scanning region with an annihilation event corresponding to the first peripheral scanning region.

9. The PET system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a processor configured to collect and process event data and to combine an annihilation event corresponding to the central scanning region with an annihilation event corresponding to the second peripheral scanning region.

10. The PET system according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a processor configured to collect and process event data and to combine an annihilation event corresponding to the first peripheral scanning region with an annihilation event corresponding to the second peripheral scanning region.

11. The PET system according to claim 7 , wherein every other detector module included in the plurality of detector modules is shifted by the predetermined distance in the axial direction.

12. The PET system according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a sensing unit configured to detect and store an angle of rotation associated with the plurality of detector modules as a function of time,

wherein the processor is configured to reconstruct an image using the collected event data and the detected angle of rotation.

13. The PET system according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a processor configured to collect and process event data; and

a motor to receive a command from the processor to rotate the cylindrical ring including the plurality of detectors by a predetermined multiple of a width of the first detector module so that event data corresponding to the first peripheral scanning region complements event data corresponding to the second peripheral scanning region.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

collect, from a plurality of detector modules, event data corresponding to annihilation events, the plurality of detector modules having a same length and arranged in a cylindrical ring, each detector module being configured to detect gamma rays generated from the annihilation events,

wherein a first detector module of the plurality of detector modules is shifted by a predetermined distance in an axial direction from a second detector module of the plurality of detector modules that is adjacent to the first detector module to generate a shifted detector having a central scanning region, a first peripheral scanning region, and a second peripheral scanning region so that the effective overall axial field of view of the shifted detector that is useable for imaging is larger than an axial field of view of the detector modules when arranged unshifted, the predetermined distance being less than the length of the detector module.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the computer program further causes the computer to:

combine an annihilation event corresponding to a central scanning region with an annihilation event corresponding to a peripheral scanning region,

wherein the central scanning region includes an axial field of view equal to the length of the detector modules minus the predetermined distance, and

the peripheral scanning region includes an axial field of view equal to the predetermined distance.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the computer program further causes the computer to:

combine an annihilation event corresponding to a first peripheral scanning region with an annihilation event corresponding to a second peripheral scanning region,

wherein the first and second peripheral scanning regions each include an axial field of view equal to the predetermined distance.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the computer program further causes the computer to:

instruct a motor to rotate the cylindrical ring including the plurality of detectors by a predetermined multiple of a width of the first detector module so that event data corresponding to the first peripheral scanning region complements event data corresponding to the second peripheral scanning region; and

reconstruct an image using the data collected from the plurality of detector modules.