COUNTERBALANCING OF DETECTORS FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEMS
An N-M tomography system comprising: a carrier for the subject of an examination procedure; a plurality of detector heads; a carrier for the detector heads; and a detector positioning arrangement operable to position the detector heads during performance of a scan without interference or collision between adjacent detector heads to establish a variable bore size and configuration for the examination. Additionally, collimated detectors providing variable spatial resolution for SPECT imaging and which can also be used for PET imaging, whereby one set of detectors can be selectably used for either modality, or for both simultaneously.
1 . A nuclear medicine tomography system comprising:
a detector carrier;
a plurality of detector modules mounted on said detector carrier, one or more detector module comprising:
a detector head;
a counterbalance coupled to said detector head;
at least one actuator configured to move said detector and said counterbalance in opposing directions.
2 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one actuator is configured to move said detector and said counterbalance in opposing directions with respect to said detector carrier.
3 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one actuator is configured to move said detector and said counterbalance in opposing directions radially with respect to said detector carrier.
4 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of said plurality of detector modules is mounted to said detector carrier by a linear rail;
wherein said detector head and said counterbalance are coupled to said linear rail and said actuator is configured to move said detector head and said counterbalance in opposing directions on said linear rail.
5 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 4 , wherein said linear rail is fixed in position with respect to said detector carrier.
6 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein said detector head and said counterbalance are disposed on opposite sides of an plane of said carrier said plane perpendicular to an axis of said carrier.
7 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 4 , wherein movement of said detector head on said linear rail changes a bore size of said tomography system.
8 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , comprising one or more actuator configured to rotate said carrier about an axis of said carrier.
9 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 2 , comprising a plurality of linear rails where each said linear rail extends radially on said detector carrier; and
wherein each one of said plurality of said detector modules is mounted to said detector carrier, each by a different linear rail of said plurality of linear rails.
10 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein said detector head and said counterbalance are balanced such that the detector head is manually moveable by a subject.
11 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein said detector head is manually moveable in a direction opposite to a direction of advancement of said detector head by said actuator.
12 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 11 , wherein said detector head and said counterbalance are selected such that a force of about 0.5 kg is sufficient to move said detector head.
13 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein a weight of said counterbalance is 0.5-30 kg.
14 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein a weight of said detector head is 1-30 kg.
15 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 14 , wherein said weight of said detector head is about 20 kg.
16 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , a weight of one or more detector module is 2-50 kg.
17 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 1 , wherein said detector head and said counterbalance are coupled to a pulley;
wherein said actuator drives said pulley to move said detector head and said counterbalance.
18 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 17 , wherein said detector head and said counterbalance are coupled to a belt or cable driven by said pulley.
19 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 18 , wherein said belt of cable forms a loop around said pulley and a second pulley, where said movement of said detector head and said counterbalance between said pulleys.
20 . The nuclear medicine tomography system of claim 18 , wherein said detector head is mounted on said belt or cable by a first traveller;
wherein said counterbalance is mounted on said belt or cable by a second traveller.