Abstract: An apparatus and methods for evaluating the operation of pixelated detectors are provided. The method includes obtaining data values for each of a plurality of pixels of a pixelated detector and determining a data consistency metric for each of the plurality of detector pixels. The method further includes identifying, using the determined data consistency metric, any detector pixels that exceed an acceptance criterion as noisy pixels.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for evaluating the operation of pixelated detectors are provided. The method includes obtaining data values for each of a plurality of pixels of a pixelated detector and determining a data consistency metric for each of the plurality of detector pixels. The method further includes identifying, using the determined data consistency metric, any detector pixels that exceed an acceptance criterion as noisy pixels.

Abstract: A method of mounting a CT imager on a gantry: determining a center of rotation of a rotor of the gantry; siting a plurality of mounting elements at predetermined positions with respect to the center of rotation; and attaching the mounting elements to the rotor while keeping the mounting elements at the predetermined positions.

Abstract: A method of registering a plurality of functional images includes providing a plurality of functional images, providing a plurality of structural images, each one of which having a known positional relationship to at least one of said plurality of functional images, and finding a first mapping transformation between pairs of functional images based on the first mapping transformation and the positional transformation.

Abstract: A nuclear medicine camera having an X-ray imaging capability. The camera comprises at least one gamma camera mounted on a gantry and an X-ray CT imager mounted on the same gantry. The at least one gamma camera and the X-ray imager are capable of simultaneously rotating about a common axis at different rotation rates.

Abstract: A method of registering a plurality of functional images includes providing a plurality of functional images, providing a plurality of structural images, each one of which having a known positional relationship to at least one of said plurality of functional images, and finding a first mapping transformation between pairs of functional images based on the first mapping transformation and the positional transformation.

Abstract: A method of registering a plurality of functional images includes providing a plurality of functional images, providing a plurality of structural images, each one of which having a known positional relationship to at least one of said plurality of functional images, and finding a first mapping transformation between pairs of functional images based on the first mapping transformation and the positional transformation.

Abstract: A nuclear medicine camera having an X-ray imaging capability, comprising: a gantry having a stationary portion and at least one rotating portion; at least one gamma camera mounted on a said at least one rotating portion and capable of being rotated together at a common first rotation rate about an axis, said at least one gamma camera being capable of acquiring nuclear imaging data for reconstructing a tomographic nuclear image; and an X-ray CT imager having an X-ray source mounted on said at least one rotating portion and being capable of acquiring X-ray imaging data for reconstructing an X-ray image; said X-ray CT imager being mounted closer to said stationary portion than said at least one gamma camera.

Abstract: A method of reconstructing tomography images comprising: acquiring data on individual radiation events; distributing a weight of the individual radiation events along a line of flight associated with the event determined from the acquired data; and iteratively reconstructing the image based on the individually reprojected data.

Abstract: A method of mounting a CT imager on a gantry: determining a center of rotation of a rotor of the gantry; siting a plurality of mounting elements at predetermined positions with respect to the center of rotation; and attaching the mounting elements to the rotor while keeping the mounting elements at the predetermined positions.

Abstract: A method of registering a plurality of functional images includes providing a plurality of functional images, providing a plurality of structural images, each one of which having a known positional relationship to at least one of said plurality of functional images, and finding a first mapping transformation between pairs of functional images based on the first mapping transformation and the positional transformation.

Abstract: A method of producing a nuclear medicine image of a subject, comprising: acquiring nuclear imaging data suitable to produce a nuclear tomographic image, said nuclear image data being acquired by a gamma camera head rotating about the subject; acquiring X-ray imaging data suitable to produce an X-ray tomographic image for attenuation correction of the gamma camera image, said X-ray imaging data being acquired by detectors irradiated by an X-ray source rotating around the subject; reducing the sensitivity of gamma camera head while the X-rays are produced; and reconstructing an attenuation corrected nuclear medicine image utilizing the nuclear imaging data and X-ray imaging data.

Abstract: A nuclear medicine camera having an X-ray imaging capability, comprising: a gantry having a stationary portion and at least one rotating portion; at least one gamma camera mounted on a said at least one rotating portion and capable of being rotated together at a common first rotation rate about an axis, said at least one gamma camera being capable of acquiring nuclear imaging data for reconstructing a tomographic nuclear image; and an X-ray CT imager having an X-ray source mounted on said at least one rotating portion and being capable of acquiring X-ray imaging data for reconstructing an X-ray image; said X-ray CT imager being mounted closer to said stationary portion than said at least one gamma camera.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing attenuation corrected nuclear medicine images of patients, comprising: at least one gamma camera head that acquires nuclear image data suitable to produce a nuclear tomographic image at a first controllable rotation rate about an axis; at least one X-ray CT imager that acquires X-ray data suitable to produce an attenuation image for correction of the nuclear tomographic image at a second controllable rotation rate about the axis; and a controller that controls the data acquisition and first and second rotation rates to selectively provide at least one of the following modes of operation: (i) a movement gated NM imaging mode in which the second rotation rate is substantially higher than the first rotation rate and the data from each view of the X-ray acquisition is associated with one of a plurality of respiration gated time periods; (ii) a cardiac gated NM imaging mode in which the second rotation rate is substantially higher than the first rotation rate and the data from each view

Abstract: Apparatus for producing attenuation corrected nuclear medicine images of patients, comprising: at least one gamma camera head that acquires nuclear image data suitable to produce a nuclear tomographic image at a first controllable rotation rate about an axis; at least one X-ray CT imager that acquires X-ray data suitable to produce an attenuation image for correction of the nuclear tomographic image at a second controllable rotation rate about the axis; and a controller that controls the data acquisition and first and second rotation rates to selectively provide at least one of the following modes of operation: (i) a movement gated NM imaging mode in which the second rotation rate is substantially higher than the first rotation rate and the data from each view of the X-ray acquisition is associated with one of a plurality of respiration gated time periods; (ii) a cardiac gated NM imaging mode in which the second rotation rate is substantially higher than the first rotation rate and the data from each view of

Abstract: A method of producing a nuclear medicine image of a subject comprising the steps of acquiring nuclear image data suitable to produce a nuclear tomographic image, the data being acquired by at least one gamma camera head (12, 14) rotating about the subject at an average first rate, acquiring x-ray imaging data suitable to produce an x-ray tomographic image for attenuation correction of the gamma camera image, the data being acquired by an array of detectors (20) irradiated by an x-ray source (18) rotating around the subject at an average second rate which is within a factor of 10 of the first rate, and reconstructing an attenuation corrected nuclear medicine image utilizing the nuclear imaging data and x-ray imaging data.

Abstract: A method of correcting errors in imaging data in a Gamma Camera including determining a first correction map based on one or both of (1) calculated corrections and (2) a first data acquisition, determining a second correction map based on a second data acquisition and correcting the imaging data based on the first and second correction maps. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, error correction is implemented using a neural network. Alternatively, a neural network can be used to perform the entire calculation of event position and/or energy.

Abstract: A method of registering a plurality of functional images includes providing a plurality of functional images, providing a plurality of structural images, each one of which having a known positional relationship to at least one of said plurality of functional images, and finding a first mapping transformation between pairs of functional images based on the first mapping transformation and the positional transformation.

Abstract: A gamma camera for imaging radiation emitted from or transmitted by an object including a gamma camera head having a front input surface which produces signals, when a photon associated with the radiation is detected by the head, indicative of the position of the position of the detection on the input surface and at a given resolution in the absence of dithering of the head; and a dithering system which differentially translates the detector head or the object in at least one direction parallel to the input surface so that the dithering system translates the detector head or the object by an amount at least equal to the given resolution but less than 50 times the given resolution during acquisition of the signals.

Abstract: A method of reducing artifacts caused by generation of unwanted photons by scattering (e.g., Compton scattered photons) in which a detected event is spatially convoluted with a spatial filter function. The filter function has a distribution of weights within the filter function that is dependent on the energy of the event for a same primary event energy.