Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110297834 | MEDICAL IMAGE DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION METHOD - In a nuclear medicine imaging apparatus as a medical image diagnosis apparatus according to one embodiment, a PET detector is configured to detect a gamma ray emitted from a nuclide introduced into a body of a subject. A PET image reconstruction unit is configured to reconstruct a nuclear medicine image (PET image) as a medical image from the gamma ray projection data created based on the gamma ray detected by the PET detector using successive approximation. A controller is configured to control the PET image reconstruction unit to change the parameter used in the successive approximation depending on information regarding the scanning region in the body of the subject. | 12-08-2011 |
20110297835 | NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A nuclear medicine imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes a detector, a measuring unit, and an end control unit. The detector is configured to detect radiation for generating a nuclear medicine image. The measuring unit is configured to measure the number of times the detector detects the radiation. The end control unit is configured to control the detector to end the detection operation when the number of times measured by the measuring unit is equal to or less than a threshold value. | 12-08-2011 |
20110309256 | TOF-PET APPARATUS, DETECTOR RING AND DETECTOR - According to one embodiment, a TOF-PET apparatus includes a plurality of detector rings arranged along a central axis thereof. Each of the detector rings comprises a plurality of scintillators and a plurality of photomultipliers. The scintillators are arranged on a substantial circumference around the central axis and generate scintillation in response to pair annihilation gamma-rays from a subject. The photomultipliers generate an electric signal in accordance with the generated scintillation. A length of each of the scintillators along a radial direction of the substantial circumference is set to a range in which a value of a total number of counts/time resolution of coincidence events of pair annihilation gamma-rays is more improved than when a reference scintillator whose probability of interaction with pair annihilation gamma-rays is adjusted to 80% is used under conditions of a constant total volume of the scintillators. | 12-22-2011 |
20120215100 | NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING APPARATUS AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING SYSTEM - A PET apparatus includes a clock unit. The clock unit includes: a time measuring unit that measures a time; and a reference time receiving unit that receives a reference time. The PET apparatus also includes a detection time revising unit. By using the reference time received by the reference time receiving unit, the detection time revising unit revises detection times recorded by using the time measured by the time measuring unit. For example, the detection time revising unit revises the detection times by calculating a time error that occurred during an image taking period of a predetermined image taking process by using the time measured by the time measuring unit and the reference time received by the reference time receiving unit and further distributing the calculated time error to each of the detection times recorded during the image taking period. | 08-23-2012 |
20120312996 | NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING APPARATUS AND ANALYZING SYSTEM - A PET apparatus includes an optical coupling detachment testing unit. In one example, the optical coupling detachment testing unit inputs an electric signal to a piezoelectric element or the like adhered to a detector module and generates a sound wave within the detector module. Further, the optical coupling detachment testing unit detects the sound wave propagated within the detector module and performs a frequency analysis on the detected sound wave. Subsequently, as a result of the analysis, the optical coupling detachment testing unit detects whether an optical coupling detachment has occurred by looking for a frequency distribution specific to a surface having an optical coupling detachment and/or comparing a frequency distribution with another frequency distribution from a previous test. | 12-13-2012 |
20130003918 | RADIATION DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - A radiation diagnostic apparatus includes a CT gantry apparatus, a PET gantry apparatus and a controller. The CT gantry apparatus includes an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector for reconstructing an X-ray CT image. The PET gantry apparatus includes a plurality of photodetectors for reconstructing nuclear medicine images and an FE circuit that is connected to the back of the photodetectors. The controller exerts control such that, when X-rays are radiated from the X-ray tube, the output from the photodetectors to the FE circuit is stopped or reduced. | 01-03-2013 |
20130134311 | NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING APPARATUS AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING METHOD - In the nuclear medicine imaging apparatus according to the one embodiment, the ADC converts the output data of each of the photodetectors to digital data. The counting information collecting unit collects counting results from the digital data, and the counting information storage unit stores the counting result in association with the digital data. The coincidence counting information generating unit generates coincidence counting information. The image reconstructing unit reconstructs a PET image, based on the coincidence counting information. The time correction data stores a correction time for each of the photodetectors. The system controlling unit controls to correct the detection time of the gamma rays in the digital data associated with each piece of the counting information by use of the correction time, and to generate new coincidence counting information. The system controlling unit controls to reconstruct a new nuclear medicine image, based on the new coincidence counting information generated. | 05-30-2013 |
20130134314 | POSITRON EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A positron emission computed tomography apparatus according to an embodiment includes a detector, a coincidence counting information generating unit, and a body movement detecting unit. The detector detects annihilation radiation released from a subject. The coincidence counting information generating unit searches for sets of counting information, which counted a pair of annihilation radiations at substantially the same time, from a counting information list that is generated from output signals of the detector; generates a set of coincidence counting information for each retrieved set of counting information; and generates a time series list of coincidence counting information. Based on the time series list of coincidence counting information, the body movement detecting unit detects temporal changes in the body movement of the subject. | 05-30-2013 |
20130234710 | PET-MRI APPARATUS - In a PET (Positron Emission Tomography)-MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus of an embodiment, a transmitting radio frequency coil applies a radio frequency magnetic field on a subject placed in a static magnetic field. A detector is formed in a ring shape, disposed on a side adjacent to an outer circumference of the transmitting radio frequency coil, includes at least two PET detectors disposed with a space therebetween in an axial direction of a bore so as to interpose the magnetic field center of the static magnetic field therebetween, and detects gamma rays emitted from positron emitting radionuclides injected into the subject. Radio frequency shields are each formed in an approximately cylindrical shape, disposed between the transmitting radio frequency coil and the detector, and shield the radio frequency magnetic field generated by the transmitting radio frequency coil. | 09-12-2013 |
20130241555 | PET-MRI APPARATUS - In a PET (Positron Emission Tomography)-MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus of an embodiment, a magnet that is a seamless structure generates a static magnetic field in a bore having a cylindrical shape. First detectors and second detectors are each formed in a ring shape and detect gamma rays emitted from positron emitting radionuclides injected into a subject. The first detectors and the second detectors are disposed with a space therebetween in an axial direction of the bore so as to interpose the magnetic field center of the static magnetic field therebetween. | 09-19-2013 |
20130251102 | IMAGE DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND METHOD - According to the present embodiment, an image diagnosis apparatus includes a first image taking device that takes an image of a patient placed on a couchtop by using an X-ray emission; a second image taking device that takes images in positions by moving an image taking position of the patient by a predetermined distance at a time, along the body-axis direction; a position estimating unit; and a correction processing unit. The position estimating unit estimates a couchtop position for each of the image taking positions of the second image taking device, based on information about warping of the couchtop of the first image taking device. The correction processing unit uses information about the couchtop positions estimated by the position estimating unit, for performing a position correcting process on the images obtained by the image taking devices. | 09-26-2013 |
20130296689 | PET-MRI APPARATUS - A PET-MRI apparatus according to an embodiment includes a static magnetic field magnet, a gradient coil, a high-frequency coil, an MR image reconstruction unit, a PET detector, and a PET image reconstruction unit. The high-frequency coil applies a high-frequency magnetic field to a subject placed in the static magnetic field and detects a magnetic resonance signal emitted from the subject in response to application of the high-frequency magnetic field and a gradient magnetic field. The PET detector has a ring shape and detects a gamma ray emitted from a positron-emitting radionuclide injected into the subject. The coil conductor of the high-frequency coil is made up of a first high-frequency shield that covers the outer surface of the PET detector. | 11-07-2013 |
20130329856 | RADIOTHERAPY SYSTEM AND RADIOTHERAPY PLANNING APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, a radiotherapy apparatus generates counting data as a count value of photons included in a preset energy region based on an output signal from an observation detector. The radiotherapy apparatus generates medical image data based on the counting data. | 12-12-2013 |
20140343400 | MEDICAL IMAGE DIAGNOSIS APPARATUS AND PET-MRI APPARATUS - A medical image diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a first image taking unit, a second image taking unit, a position specifying unit, and a moving controlling unit. The first image taking unit performs an image taking process by implementing PET while using a first PET detector and a second PET detector. The position specifying unit specifies positions of the first PET detector and the second PET detector, on the basis of a medical image taken by the second image taking unit. The moving controlling unit controls moving of the first PET detector and the second PET detector in accordance with the specified positions. The first image taking unit and the second image taking unit each perform the image taking process after the first PET detector and the second PET detector have been moved. | 11-20-2014 |