Positron source position sensing detector and electronics
US4531058A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 28, 1982 |
| Grant date | Jul 23, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 28, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B6/037
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A positron source, position sensing device, particularly with medical applications, in which positron induced gamma radiation is detected using a ring of stacked, individual scintillation crystals, a plurality of photodetectors, separated from the scintillation crystals by a light guide, and high resolution position interpolation electronics. Preferably the scintillation crystals are several times more numerous than the photodetectors with each crystal being responsible for a single scintillation event from a received gamma ray. The light guide will disperse the light emitted from gamma ray absorption over several photodetectors. Processing electronics for the output of the photodetectors resolves the location of the scintillation event to a fraction of the dimension of each photodetector. Because each positron absorption results in two 180.degree. oppositely traveling gamma rays, the detection of scintillation in pairs permits location of the positron source in a manner useful for diagnostic purposes. The processing electronics simultaneously responds to the outputs of the photodetectors to locate the scintillations to the source crystal. While it is preferable that the scintillat…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.