Preventive maintenance system for the photomultiplier detector blocks of pet scanners
US5384699A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 24, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jan 24, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 24, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J43/30
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system including a method and apparatus for preventive maintenance of PET scanner photomultiplier detector blocks is disclosed. The quantitive comparisons used in the method of the present invention to provide an indication in the form of a display or printout advising the user that the photomultiplier block is stable, intermittently unstable, or drifting unstable, and also advising of the expected date of failure of a photomultiplier block in the PET scanner. The system alerts the user to replace the defective photomultiplier block prior to catastrophic failure in a scheduled preventative maintenance program, thus eliminating expensive and unscheduled downtime of the PET scanner due to photomultiplier failure. The apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention preferably resides in the host computer controlling a PET scanner. It includes a memory adapted for storing a record of a number of iterative adjustments that are necessary to calibrate the gain of a photomultiplier detector block i at a time t.sub.0, a time t.sub.1 and a time T, where T>t.sub.1 >t.sub.0, which is designated as Histo(i,j(t)). The apparatus also includes a processor configured by a software …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.