Nuclear medicine imaging systems and methods having a secondary mechanism for controlling a detector head

US9995833B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Ilan Levin · Tirat Karmel, IL
• Noam Perlis · Tirat Karmel, IL
• Refael Dayan · Tirat Karmel, IL
• Moty Levy · Tirat Karmel, IL
• Roee Khen · Haifa, IL
• Raed Khamaisi · Tirat Karmel, IL

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 7, 2017
• Grant date: Jun 12, 2018
• Expiry date: Mar 7, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01T1/2985
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Nuclear medicine (NM) imaging system includes a detector assembly coupled to a gantry. The NM imaging system also includes a positioning sub-system having a motion controller and a detector motor. The positioning sub-system also includes a proximity sensor device (PSD) coupled to a detector head of the detector assembly. The PSD is configured to be activated. In response to being activated, the PSD is configured to transmit an output signal to stop the detector motor from moving the detector head toward the object. The NM imaging system also includes a secondary circuit that, in response to the PSD being activated, is configured to determine whether the detector head has stopped moving toward the object and, if the detector head has not stopped moving toward the object, is configured to disable the detector motor.