Patent · US Expired

Coded-aperture system for planar imaging of volumetric sources

US6392235B1 · kind B1 · utility

74Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 15, 2000
Grant dateMay 21, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 15, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01T1/295
  • WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A coded aperture is placed in proximity of a patient's body and a 2D coded image is acquired in conventional manner. The basic data-acquisition geometry is similar to that used in various coded-aperture systems. According to one aspect of the invention, additional coded images are acquired with different spacings between the aperture and the detector. Alternatively, additional coded images could be acquired with multiple movable apertures or by varying the location of the aperture relative to a patient. Another aspect of the invention resides in the recognition that presently available computer algorithms can process these multiple coded images in such a way as to estimate the integrals of the 3D object over a set of parallel cylindrical tubes extending through the volume of the target object. Such “tube integrals” can be thought of as the output of an ideal collimator where the sensitivity is confined to a tubular region of constant cross-section.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.