• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    Gamma ray detection device with active partitions. The invention relates to a device for detecting gamma rays (1) from a source (2) without image truncation and without image overlap, comprising at least: two detection cells (3) and each of said cells comprise a detection space (7) adapted to receive gamma rays (1) that penetrate through a hole (5), where said detection space (7) comprises one or more detection sets (8, 8'), some of said assemblies (8') being located in such a way that they interfere with the gamma rays (1) that affect their superimposition volume (11). (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)
    公开号:ES2757984A1
    申请号:ES201831058
    申请日:2018-10-31
    公开日:2020-04-30
    发明作者:Victor Ilisie；Baviera José María Benlloch；Martínez Filomeno Sánchez
    申请人:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas CSIC；Universidad Politecnica de Valencia；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    [0001]
    [0002] DEVICE FOR THE DETECTION OF GAMMA LIGHTNING WITH ACTIVE SPLITTERS
    [0003]
    [0004] FIELD OF THE INVENTION
    [0005]
    [0006] The present invention is within the field of gamma ray imaging. More specifically, the invention relates to the design of gamma radiation detection devices to obtain information from it, such as medical nuclear imaging devices, such as gamma cameras or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) equipment. , from the English “single photon emission computed tomography '), among others.
    [0007]
    [0008] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    [0009]
    [0010] High sensitivity and resolution gamma cameras are of great interest today, as they have high potential in the field of nuclear medicine. Such cameras allow, for example, an early diagnosis of small tumors, and are also useful in a wide variety of preclinical studies, allowing, for example, to design more effective cancer treatments. The basic function of a gamma camera device is to inject a patient with a radioactive contrast, such as 99mTc, which disintegrates by emitting a photon (gamma ray) of 140 keV of energy, according to the following process:
    [0011]
    [0012] 99mTc ^ 99Tc y. (Eq. 1)
    [0013]
    [0014] This high energy photon passes through a collimator, preferably made of a dense material, highly impenetrable for gamma rays in this energy range, typically consisting of lead (Pb) or tungsten (W) before reaching a detector sensitive to the radiation. This process is shown schematically in Figure 1 of this document, for two typical types of collimators (parallel holes, on the left of the image, and pinhole holes, known as "pinholes", on the right of the image).
    [0015]
    [0016] Radiation-sensitive detectors in these types of cameras are typically made of a dense, gamma-sensitive material, typically a scintillating glass block of NaI or the like. In this block, the gamma ray is absorbed by a nucleus or electron of the material, whose energy is re-emitted in the form of a quantity of the order of thousands of optical photons, which are detected by a photodetector. This process is schematically shown in Figure 2 of this document.
    [0017]
    [0018] A common problem with gamma cameras is their reduced sensitivity. This is because only the gamma rays that are emitted parallel to the collimators (in the case of the parallel collimator, Figure 1, left) or within a certain angular region (for the hole collimator, Figure 1, right) are the that effectively reach the detector. In this context, in the case of gamma cameras - with collimation holes, to increase the sensitivity, which means increasing the number of gamma rays detected, the number of holes and / or the angular aperture of each one must necessarily be increased. orifice. However, by increasing the number of said holes, the undesired effect known as image overlay (or multiplexing problem) is generated, as shown schematically in Figures 3a-3b, which show different perspectives of this effect. As can be seen in these figures, within the overlapping region of the detector it is not possible to unequivocally identify through which hole the incident gamma ray has previously passed before being detected. In the absence of this information, what is normally done is to consider all possible combinations in the calculations made in the image reconstruction procedure. As an example, in the case of Positron Emission Tomography (PET ), this reconstruction procedure consists of calculating lines of response (LOR ) across the field. field of view (FOV ). In the case of gamma cameras, LORs are built by joining the point of impact of the gamma ray on the detector, with the corresponding hole (through which it has previously passed At this point, when you are unable to identify the correct hole in the overlap region and all combinations of possible gamma ray paths have to be made, this results in considering incorrect LORs for image reconstruction. This therefore introduces noise into the final reconstructed image, as well as possible spurious images, commonly referred to as artifacts (see, for example, in references [1], [2], [3] cited in end of this section) In addition to being associated with images with noise, artifacts are highly dangerous, since they can have serious consequences in a possible erroneous diagnosis of patients (for the clinical case), or leading to erroneous conclusions in preclinical studies .
    [0019] The aforementioned problems also occur in known non-overlapping collimator-based detectors, such as those described in patent applications US 2006/0065840 A1 and US 2006/0000978 A1. However, in these detectors, the elimination of the superposition causes, in return, the truncation of the images and a reduced FOV (which may contain blind regions). In recent years, various studies have been carried out to improve gamma cameras and SPECT systems (see cited references [1], [2], [3], [4]) to eliminate overlapping effects. However, to date no generic solution has been found that can be used in any detection system, since the problem depends, to a large extent, also on the complexity of the object of study (small animals, organs, etc.), FOV or desired resolution, as well as other design parameters. A practical solution offering high sensitivity and resolution has been proposed in the gamma / SPECT camera described in reference [5], where the collimator has a large number of holes and is cylindrical in shape. However, this system has the great disadvantage that its design implies a very low FOV. Therefore, their approach can only be applied effectively for preclinical studies with small animals. Also as a consequence of the reduction of FOV, when it is desired to study a wide region of the animal's body, it must be moved during the exploration, which greatly hinders the entire image-taking process.
    [0020]
    [0021] In view of the limitations of the state of the art described above, the present invention proposes a novel device for the detection of gamma rays, based on a new concept of active partitions that not only prevent the appearance of overlap during imaging, It also has a complete FOV and is applicable to various techniques with a completely general character.
    [0022]
    [0023] State of the art references cited:
    [0024]
    [0025] [1] GSP Mok, BMW Tsui and FJ Beekman, "The effects of object activity distribution on multiplexing multi-pinhole SPECT ', Phys. Med. Biol. 56 (2011) 2635-2650.
    [0026]
    [0027] [2] LC Johnson, S. Shokouhi and TE Peterson, "Reducing Multiplexing Artifacts in Multi-Pinhole SPECT with a Stacked Silicon-Germanium System: a Simulation Study ', IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging (2014) 33 (12): 2342 -2351.
    [0028] [3] GSP Mok, Y. Wang, and BMW Tsui, "Quantification of the Multiplexing Effects in Multi-Pinhole Small Animal SPECT: A Simulation Study ', IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 2009, 56 (5): 2636-2643 .
    [0029]
    [0030] [4] K. Vunckx, P. Suetens, J. Nuyts, "Effect of Overlapping Projections on Reconstruction Image Quality in Multipinhole SPECT ', IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, Vol. 27, No. 7 (2008).
    [0031]
    [0032] [5] Ivashchenko O., van der Have F., Villena JL, Groen HC, Ramakers RM, Weinans HH, Beekman FJ, “Quarter-Millimeter-Resolution Molecular Mouse Imaging with U-SPECT + ', Mol. Imaging (2014), 13. doi: 10.2310 / 7290.2014.00053.
    [0033]
    [0034] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
    [0035]
    [0036] In light of the problems of the state of the art exposed in the previous section, the device proposed by the present invention eliminates the problem of overlapping / multiplexing, without producing the unwanted effect of truncation and without generating artifacts in the images obtained, maintaining in addition the property of a high sensitivity in a multi-hole collimator (or “multi-pinhole”), which translates into a high resolution image for an arbitrarily large FOV.
    [0037]
    [0038] In this way, the invention maintains all the advantages of multi-hole collimators, but also adding a new element that is sensitive to gamma radiation, which is a detector element (radiation sensitive material) that acts as a collimator / partition and that prevents gamma rays from reaching overlapping regions. Said collimator will be designated as "active septum", because in addition to preventing overlapping regions, it also acts as a detector and, therefore, can measure the impact coordinates of the incident photons. In this way, all the information necessary for the reconstruction of the images is recovered, with a high resolution in FOV. Therefore, in the device of the invention, there is only a virtual superposition, which allows unambiguously identifying through which hole any gamma ray passes before it is detected. In the device, moreover, the active partitions are preferably provided with their own photodetectors and the corresponding reading electronics.
    [0039]
    [0040] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, a possible variation of this configuration is proposed, in which the collimator side walls do not comprise or photodetectors or reading electronics, and where the detectors are located only in their base region (as in other multi-hole collimators). However, in order to obtain the impact coordinates without losing information, the collimators are equipped with optical reflective surfaces on the side walls, in order to avoid the loss of the optical photons and to guide them towards the sensitive regions of the detector.
    [0041]
    [0042] The above configurations are possible as long as the scintillator on the active septum is dense and / or thick enough to stop most incident gamma rays before reaching the adjacent active septum. To achieve this end, it is optional to use a thin plate of W or Pb that is arranged between said active partitions.
    [0043]
    [0044] For the two main device configurations referred to, the gamma ray incidence cones represent the allowed regions where the gamma rays can penetrate due to the opening of the device hole. The detection cells formed by the spaces that house each incidence cone can be repeated as many times as necessary, in order to obtain the desired characteristics of the gamma camera device, for example obtaining a certain FOV size. The angles of inclination and the openings of the holes can vary from one cell to another, to obtain the desired resolution of the device.
    [0045]
    [0046] Additionally, the external exterior faces of the entire device are preferably protected by an active or passive gamma radiation absorbing material, to avoid background noise from areas outside the field of view of interest.
    [0047]
    [0048] More specifically, the object of the invention is an imaging device and system comprising said device, according to any of the claims proposed in the present patent application.
    [0049]
    [0050] For a better understanding of the invention, a set of definitions of some expressions used in this document is provided below:
    [0051]
    [0052] - Interaction cloud: accumulation of any type of particle interactions (photoelectric, Compton, Bremsstrahlung, Cherenkov, etc.) that has at least one measurable magnitude, such as deposited energy, instantaneous time, electric charge, etc. This "interaction cloud" is made up of one or more interactions that are Close enough, spatially and / or temporally, that they are experimentally indistinguishable.
    [0053]
    [0054] - Spatial information: any type of data that is a function of N (N <3) spatial dimensions, whether discrete or continuous, for example, the energy deposited at a point with 3D coordinates (x, y, z).
    [0055]
    [0056] - Sensitive material: any physical material that interacts with radiation, producing at least one measurable physical quantity.
    [0057]
    [0058] - Detector: any device with the ability to record a certain physical quantity (such as spatial and / or temporal information and / or any other physical quantity) that corresponds to one or more interaction clouds. Spatial information can be obtained, for example, by processing the energy deposition distribution and / or the time stamp distribution and / or the electrical charge distribution, etc. A detector may consist of one or more sensitive materials, one or more acquisition devices (to be defined below), and reading electronics that extract the signals from said detector. For example, in a scintillation detector, by using a scintillating crystal the distribution of the scintillation photons can be recorded by the detector, as well as its time stamp. This provides spatial and temporal information, as well as information on the total energy deposited and how they have been distributed. Another example may be a Cherenkov detector, where space, time, and energy information can be obtained from Cherenkov radiation and its distribution. Detectors can be any shape and size possible. In addition, the detector reading can be drawn from one or more regions of the detector. In general, the reading can be done from one or more flat surfaces (faces) of the detector. For example, in a scintillation detector with a rectangular shape, you can extract signals from one or more, up to six of its faces. The use of scintillation crystals or other curved, non-rectangular sensitive materials would also be possible, in which case the reading would be conveniently adapted.
    [0059]
    [0060] - The terms "light reflective surface" and "optical reflective surface" will be used synonymously, and interpreted as any surface on which a substantial portion of the photons that impact it are reflected.
    [0061]
    [0062] - The terms “detector” and “radiation sensitive detector” will be used interchangeably in this document.
    [0063] - The expression "time stamp" refers to the time information recorded in any part of an acquisition device, corresponding to a detection event.
    [0064]
    [0065] - active partition: it is an independent detector or a module composed of radiation-sensitive material, which is coupled to another detector (with the possibility of extracting the coordinates and / or the energy and / or time stamp information of an event) and that it may have some of its surfaces covered with Pb or W or any other material arranged to prevent an incident gamma ray from reaching an overlapping region of a multi-hole gamma camera. Some faces can also be light-reflecting surfaces, to prevent the loss of scintillated optical photons.
    [0066]
    [0067] - Event: it is defined as the total number of interactions that a single incident gamma ray and its secondary particles produce, until its initial energy is totally or substantially lost (it is deposited, it is absorbed, etc.).
    [0068]
    [0069] - Acquisition device: refers to a device used to extract one or more quantities processed by a detector, said device comprising one or more sensitive materials. For example, for a scintillation detector, the acquisition device may be constituted by a photodetector made of photosensors that extract information from the scintillation photons produced in a crystal.
    [0070]
    [0071] - Gamma camera module: refers to a set of detectors and / or active partitions, which may or may not be independent, with an identical structure or not, together with a hole collimator, that work together to create a unique detector that can be use as a single hole gamma camera device.
    [0072]
    [0073] - Gamma camera device: refers to a set of gamma camera modules that can be independent or not, with an identical structure or not, that work together to create a single gamma camera detector with higher sensitivity and / or resolution and / or FOV than an independent module gamma camera. The multi-hole collimator can be continuous (made of a single piece of material, not the attached modules), thus providing greater simplicity to the device.
    [0074]
    [0075] - Detection system: refers to a set of gamma camera modules and / or a set of gamma camera devices that can be independent or not, with identical or not, that can work together or not, and that together collect useful information for the reconstruction of the image of the object / subject / patient analyzed.
    [0076]
    [0077] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
    [0078]
    [0079] The foregoing and other characteristics and advantages will be more fully understood from the detailed description of the invention, as well as from the preferred embodiment examples referred to in the attached drawings, in which:
    [0080]
    [0081] Figure 1 schematically shows the operation of the two typical state-of-the-art gamma camera devices, with parallel hole collimators (left) and with hole collimator (right).
    [0082]
    [0083] Figure 2 shows a known gamma ray detector module, made up of a sensitive material such as a scintillation block (which produces optical photons as a consequence of the interaction of a gamma ray with the material), a photodetector (sensitive to optical photons). ) and reading electronics (responsible for processing the electronic signals of the photodetector).
    [0084]
    [0085] Figure 3a shows the problem of multiplexing in a multi-hole collimator. Incident gamma rays from the radiant source pass through the holes before reaching the detector. Depending on the geometry, aperture and inclination of the holes, overlapping regions may occur in the detector, preventing unambiguous identification of the hole through which a shocking gamma ray has previously passed.
    [0086]
    [0087] Figure 3b shows a two-dimensional cross section of the overlap problem shown in Figure 3a.
    [0088]
    [0089] Figure 4 describes in two dimensions the concept of "active partition" of the invention. In said figure, it is observed how said active partition comprises an additional detector element, which is advantageously placed in the detection space, to prevent gamma rays from reaching the overlapping area of the adjacent cell. As this element, in addition to blocking the rays, it is also a detector, all the necessary information (impact coordinates and corresponding pinhole) can be recovered thanks to the use of photodetectors and corresponding signal reading electronics.
    [0090] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a possible embodiment of the device of the invention equipped with four active partitions, a horizontal detector and a hole collimator. The main detector also has photodetector equipment and attached electronics. Active partitions may or may not have photodetectors and reading electronics. The incidence cone schematically shows the area where incident gamma rays can penetrate, due to the geometry and configuration of the collimator hole.
    [0091]
    [0092] Figure 6 describes in two dimensions a variation of the device with active partitions of the invention. In this case, the active partitions only have photodetectors and reading and electronics connected directly to the upper part of one of the sides, said detector being able to be absent or replaced by a reflective surface. They are also coupled to a horizontal main detector. For each active partition, all its faces (except the one attached to the main detector and the one attached to the side detector) should have reflective elements, to avoid optical photons from escaping from the detection cell. Analyzing the impact pattern of said optical photons, it is possible to distinguish whether the interaction has taken place in the main detector or in the active septum, without losing impact information on any of the photons in the incidence cone.
    [0093]
    [0094] Figures 7a-7b schematically describe a variation of the previous figure. In this case, the active partitions have photodetectors and reading electronics attached directly to two of their faces (top and bottom). Furthermore, said active partitions are separated from the main (horizontal) detector. Active partitions can also be tilted a certain angle to the top collimation element or to the main detector.
    [0095]
    [0096] Figure 8 describes in two dimensions another possible configuration of the active partitions in the device of the invention. In this case, the active partitions are tilted and the horizontal main detector is not necessary. The information retrieved and the operation of the device are equivalent to that of the previous configurations.
    [0097]
    [0098] Figure 9 shows a possible second version of the device of the invention, composed of four active partitions and a hole collimator, where the active partitions are oriented at an angle. As in the case of Figure 8, the main detector in this configuration is not necessary, and the active partitions must have photodetectors and reading electronics attached. The incidence cone in the figure shows schematically the area where rays can penetrate the detection space of the device, due to the geometry and configuration of the hole collimator.
    [0099]
    [0100] Figure 10 shows a possible gamma-ray outer shielding casing in a detection system according to the invention, which may be composed of Pb, W or the like, in order to avoid background noise from areas outside the field of vision of interest.
    [0101]
    [0102] Numerical references used in the drawings:
    [0103]
    [0104]
    [0105]
    [0106]
    [0107] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
    [0108]
    [0109] A detailed description of the invention is set forth below, referring to different preferred embodiments thereof, based on Figures 4-10 herein. Said description is provided for illustrative, but not limiting, purposes of the claimed invention.
    [0110]
    [0111] As described in the previous sections, the present invention relates to a device with a multi-aperture collimator ("multi-pinhole") for the detection of high sensitivity and resolution gamma rays, with an arbitrarily large FOV, characterized by the fact that it eliminates overlap without loss of information.
    [0112] Through the use of active partitions, the device's detector is capable of obtaining the gamma ray impact coordinates and unequivocally assigning the hole through which said gamma ray has previously passed. With this information, a correct LOR can be built for each event and therefore all problems associated with the appearance of artifacts associated with overlap and image truncation associated with non-overlap are avoided. The coordinates of the impact of the gamma rays on the detector of the device can be obtained by means of standard methods such as, for example, by distributing the number of optical photons produced by a scintillating crystal, the distribution of the electrical charge produced by a semiconductor detector, Cherenkov radiation detection, etc. The depth of interaction (DOI) at the device detector can also be obtained with standard methods.
    [0113]
    [0114] Preferably and as shown in Figures 4-10, the device of the invention allows to detect gamma rays (1) from a radiation source (2), where said device comprises at least two contiguous detection cells (3) , and where each of said detection cells (3) comprises:
    [0115] - a collimation element (4) comprising a hole (5) through which gamma rays (1) from the source (2) can penetrate, defining an incidence cone (6);
    [0116] - a detection space (7) adapted to receive the gamma rays (1) that penetrate through the hole (5), where said detection space (7) comprises one or more detection sets (8, 8 '), equipped with at least one material (9) sensitive to gamma radiation and at least one photodetector (10) connected to electronic means for reading and processing the signals from said photodetector (10).
    [0117]
    [0118] As can be seen in Figures 4 and 8 of this document, the theoretical projections of the cones (6) of incidence of the gamma rays (1) in the two cells (3) present an overlapping volume (11) inside the detection space (7). However, in order to prevent said gamma ray overlap (1) from occurring effectively in said volume (11), the detection assemblies (8 ') of the device of the invention are advantageously arranged, inside the space of detection (7), so that they interfere with the gamma-ray paths (1) whose projection is incident on the volume of superposition (11) inside said detection space. The device could also optionally contain an additional blocking surface (12), made of Pb, W or the like, that prevents the passage of gamma rays (1) to the overlapping volume (11). With this, it is possible to block any gamma-ray overlapping path (1), but the device is also capable of measuring the contribution of all of them in the absence of image truncation.
    [0119]
    [0120] In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, the photodetectors are arranged on the separating surface of the detection cells (3) that are in contact with the detection sets (8) of adjacent cells (3) .
    [0121]
    [0122] Preferably, the walls of the detection cells (3) and / or the detection assemblies (8, 8 ') comprise one or more reflective elements (13) to guide the gamma ray paths (1). This embodiment is shown schematically in Figure 6, where it can be seen how said reflective elements (13) allow guiding the paths to the device's photodetectors (10), thus fulfilling the dual function of eliminating any superposition scenario of gamma rays (1), but without producing any truncation of the images obtained.
    [0123]
    [0124] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the separation partition and / or the detection assemblies (8, 8 ') are arranged perpendicular or oblique with respect to the plane defined by the collimation element (4), where in addition said partition can be located at different distances (d, d ') and at arbitrary angles (0) with respect to said element (4). This situation is schematically illustrated in Figures 7a-7b of this document.
    [0125]
    [0126] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated by Figures 8-9, at least one of the detection cells (3) comprises at least two detection sets (8, 8 ') arranged with their planes at an angle to each other, so that the space subtended by said detection sets (8, 8 ') covers the entire gamma ray incidence cone (6) (1).
    [0127]
    [0128] In different preferred embodiments of the invention, the gamma-ray absorption surfaces of the collimators of one or more holes (5) comprise dense materials of adequate thickness, so that they are capable of stopping said gamma rays in the energy range of interest, such as Pb or W. Also, the geometry and opening configuration of each hole (5) can have any shape, inclination and radius.
    [0129] The sensitive material 9 of the detection device can be any material that produces a measurable physical magnitude when radiation interacts with said material. Some examples are scintillating, monolithic or pixelated crystals, semiconductors such as Si, Ge, CdTe, GaAs, Pbl2, Hgl2, CZT, etc. for solid state detectors, xenon for Cherenkov scintillation and radiation detectors, etc. Furthermore, the sensitive materials (9) can be encapsulated or exposed, coupled to an optical reflective surface and / or use any known technique to improve the quality of the collected data. The reflective optical surfaces (13) can be polished or rough, specular, diffuse, retro-reflective or mixed. Also, one or more detection assemblies (8, 8) 'may comprise an optically painted surface.
    [0130]
    [0131] In a detection system according to the invention, each detector device can be adjacent to another that forms a certain set, said set being able to organize itself with respect to another, for example forming a closed or open structure. The components of a detector system can be identical or different, depending on their specific design conditions.
    [0132]
    [0133] A device detection set (8, 8 ’) can be arbitrary in shape, and can measure any physical magnitude that provides spatial and / or temporal information of at least one interaction cloud of one or more sensitive materials. Examples of such detection elements are solid state detectors, scintillation detectors, etc.
    [0134]
    [0135] Examples of solid state detectors are semiconductors such as Si, Ge, CdTe, GaAs, PbI2, HgI2, CZT, or HgCdTe (also known as CTM). Cherenkov radiators such as PbF2, NaBi (WO4) 2, PbWO4, MgF2, C6F14, C4F10 or silica airgel. Scintillating elements can also be used, such as organic or inorganic crystal scintillators, liquid scintillators, or gaseous scintillators. Scintillators can produce a detection signal that is due to both scintillation and Cherenkov radiation processes.
    [0136]
    [0137] Organic crystal scintillators can be, for example, anthracene, stilbene, naphthalene, liquid scintillators (for example, organic liquids such as p-terphenyl (C18H14), 2- (4-biphenyl) -5-phenyl-1,3,4 -oxadiazole PBD (C20H14N2O), butyl PBD (C24H22N2O), PPO (C15H11NO), dissolved in solvents such as toluene, xylene, benzene, phenylcyclohexane, triethylbenzene or decalin), scintillators of gases (such as nitrogen, helium, argon, crypton ), inorganic crystal scintillators, or combinations of any of them.
    [0138] Commonly known inorganic scintillation crystals can be, for example, cesium iodide (CsI), thallium-doped cesium iodide (CsI (Tl)), bismuth sprouted (BGO), thallium-doped sodium iodide (NaI (Tl) )), io fluoride (BaF2), europium-doped calcium fluoride (CaF2 (Eu)), cadmium tungstate (CdWO4), cerium-doped lanthanum chloride (LaCb (Ce)), cerium-doped yttria luteium silicates (LuYSiOs (Ce) (YAG (Ce)), silver-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS (Ag)) or cerium (III) doped yttrium aluminum granite Y3Al5O12 (Ce) or LYSO. Additional examples are CsF, KI (Tl ), CaF2 (Eu), Gd2SiO5 [Ce] (GSO), LSO.
    [0139]
    [0140] As previously mentioned, scintillators according to the present invention can be monolithic crystals or pixelated crystals, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the scintillator, however, will be a single crystal (monolithic block), since pixelated crystals introduce more dead space areas into the gamma ray detector, thereby providing less sensitivity to the detector device compared to single crystals.
    [0141]
    [0142] The detection device (of the scintillating photons) can be formed, for example, by photosensors. The photosensors can be silicon photomultiplier arrays (SiPM), single photon avalanche diodes (SPAD), digital SiPMs, avalanche photodiodes, photomultipliers, photomultipliers, phototransistors, photodiodes, photo-ICs or combinations thereof . This means that one detector device can be coupled, for example, to a SiPM matrix and another detector device can be coupled to a phototransistor array in a detector system according to the definitions above.
    [0143]
    [0144] It is also possible, in other embodiments of the invention, to use multiple photodetectors (10) to provide a single data matrix. If a detector element is not large enough to cover a desired surface, it is possible to arrange two or more detectors in a matrix and combine their readings to obtain a larger data matrix. The data matrix can be expressed using any desired coordinate system (Cartesian, Cylindrical, Spherical, etc.).
    [0145]
    [0146] Another object of the present invention relates to a gamma ray detection image generation system, comprising one or more devices according to any of the embodiments described herein. In said system, the electronic means for reading and processing the signals from the photodetectors (10) are preferably connected to an image reconstruction device at from the processing of these signals. An example of said system is represented schematically in Figure 10, where it can be seen how the system is configured with five collimation holes (5), associated with their respective collimation cells (3) (not shown in the figure), these being protected by a cover or casing (14) preferably absorbing gamma radiation.
    [0147]
    [0148] In a preferred embodiment of the system of the invention, it can be arranged on a mobile platform adapted to be oriented towards different regions of the gamma radiation source (2).
    权利要求:
    Claims (15)
    [1]
    1. - Device for detecting gamma rays (1) from a source (2), comprising at least two adjoining detection cells (3), where each of said detection cells (3) comprises:
    - a collimation element (4) comprising a hole (5) through which gamma rays (1) from the source (2) can penetrate, defining a cone
    (6) incidence;
    - a detection space (7) adapted to receive the gamma rays (1) that penetrate through the hole (5), where said detection space (7) comprises one or more sets (8, 8 ') of lightning detection gamma;
    and where the theoretical projections of the cones (6) of incidence of the gamma rays (1) in two adjacent cells (3) present an overlapping volume (11) inside the detection space (7);
    the device being characterized in that at least one of the detection assemblies (8 ') is arranged in such a way that it interferes with the gamma rays (1) that affect the overlapping volume (11).
    [2]
    2.
    [3]
    3.
    [4]
    4. - Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the separation partition and / or the detection assemblies (8, 8 ’) are arranged perpendicular or oblique with respect to a plane defined by the collimation element (4).
    [5]
    5. - Device according to claims 1-2, wherein at least one of the detection cells (3) comprises at least two detection sets (8, 8 ') arranged with their planes at an angle to each other, so that the space subtended by said detection sets (8, 8 ') covers the entire gamma ray incidence cone (6) (1).
    [6]
    6. - Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one or more detection sets (8, 8 ') comprise one or more reflective elements (13) to guide the gamma ray paths (1).
    [7]
    Device according to the preceding claim, where at least one of the reflecting elements (13) comprises a diffuse or retroreflective, rough or polished specular reflector or a combination thereof.
    [8]
    Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more detection assemblies (8, 8 ') comprise an optically painted surface.
    [9]
    9. -Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the detection assemblies (8, 8 ') comprises a scintillation material as material sensitive (9) to gamma radiation and at least one photodetector (10) connected to electronic means for reading and processing the signals from said photodetector.
    [10]
    10. - Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the scintillation material comprises a pixelated solid, a monolithic solid, a liquid, gas or a combination thereof.
    [11]
    11. Device according to any of claims 9-10, wherein each cell
    (3) detection comprises different scintillation materials.
    [12]
    12. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the photodetector (10) of at least one of the detection assemblies (8, 8 ') comprises photomultipliers, avalanche diodes, photodiodes, phototransistors, photo-ICs or a combination of the themselves.
    [13]
    Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the detection assemblies (8, 8 ') comprises a solid state detector and / or a Cherenkov detector.
    [14]
    14. Gamma-ray detection image generation system (1), such as in SPECT, characterized in that it comprises one or more devices according to any of the preceding claims, its electronic means for reading and processing the signals connected to an image reconstruction device from the processing of said signals.
    [15]
    15. System according to the preceding claim, wherein said system is arranged on a mobile platform adapted to be oriented towards different regions of the gamma radiation source.

    Incident gamma ray
    to
    data reading FIG. 2 (state of the art)
    Lightning gam
    Overlapping images FIG. 3rd (state of the art)
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    US20220011451A1|2022-01-13|
    WO2020089501A1|2020-05-07|
    EP3876244A1|2021-09-08|
    ES2757984B2|2021-02-16|
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    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    ES201831058A|ES2757984B2|2018-10-31|2018-10-31|DEVICE FOR THE DETECTION OF GAMMA RAYS WITH ACTIVE SEALS|ES201831058A| ES2757984B2|2018-10-31|2018-10-31|DEVICE FOR THE DETECTION OF GAMMA RAYS WITH ACTIVE SEALS|
    EP19879534.6A| EP3876244A1|2018-10-31|2019-10-30|Device for the detection of gamma rays with active partitions|
    US17/289,453| US20220011451A1|2018-10-31|2019-10-30|Device for the Detection of Gamma Rays with Active Partitions|
    PCT/ES2019/070737| WO2020089501A1|2018-10-31|2019-10-30|Device for the detection of gamma rays with active partitions|
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