Abstract: A blood collecting apparatus includes a main flow path and a pressure generator. The pressure generator is provided in an intermediate position of the main flow path to insert a gas as separators at designated predetermined intervals, thereby to take out blood to be measured, as separated in a time series. The blood can be taken out in minute volumes by inserting the separators consisting of the gas while feeding the blood continuously into the main flow path in this way. And consumption of the blood can be held down, and the amount of collected blood can be minimized. Since the operation to insert the separators is excellent in speed, repeated collection in a short time, i.e. frequency of blood collection, can be secured.

Abstract: The mammographic apparatus of this invention maintains peripheral portions of the breast area Ma of the sternal plate of a patient M in contact with a sternal plate contact box 3 during radiography for RI distribution images of the breast area Ma of the patient M. Since the body motion accompanying respiration of the patient M shifts from the breast side to the back side, the motion of the breast area Ma of the patient M accompanying respiration of the patient M is suppressed easily. In addition, since radiography for RI distribution images is carried out with the patient M in a seated position seated on a seating unit 2, the apparatus is compact and can installed in a limited area, compared with an apparatus that carries out radiography for RI distribution images with a patient in a sleeping position lying on her back or on a side on a top board.

Abstract: Upon detection of radiation by using a (three-dimensional) detector capable of distinguishing a detection position in a depth direction and energy, an energy window for distinguishing between a signal and noise is changed depending on the detection position in the depth direction, thus making it possible to obtain scattering components inside the detector. Alternatively, a weight is given to a detection event depending on the detection position in the depth direction and energy information to obtain scattering components inside the detector. Thereby, scattering components inside the detector can be obtained to increase the sensitivity of the detector. In this case, different detecting elements can be used depending on the detection position in the depth direction.

Abstract: In a state in which a subject is absent, blank data is collected by a self-radioactivity element typified by Lu-176 (S1). In a state in which the subject is present, transmission data is collected by the self-radioactivity element (S2). Emission data is collected by ? rays emitted from the subject injected with a radiopharmaceutical (S3). Absorption-corrected data is calculated based on the blank data and the transmission data (S4 to S7), and the emission data is absorption-corrected using the absorption-corrected data (S8). Although such background data obtained by the self-radioactivity is originally abandoned, the background data is rather used for the absorption-corrected data. Stable absorption correction can be thereby conducted.

Abstract: Image quality deterioration due to a drop in resolution or lowering of S/N ratio while reducing the amount of data stored during a 3D data acquisition process, and shortening the time from the start of an examination to the end of imaging. The method and apparatus of this invention perform, in parallel with the 3D data acquisition process, addition of sinograms, reading of subsets of the sinograms having been added, and image reconstruction. Consequently, the amount of data stored is reduced, and the time from the start of an examination to the end of imaging is shortened. At the same time, since 3D iterative reconstruction is not accompanied by conversion from 3D data to 2D data, a drop in resolution due to errors occurring with the conversion from 3D data to 2D data is avoided. The 3D iterative reconstruction can directly incorporate processes such as an attenuation correction process. It is thus possible to avoid also a lowering of S/N ratio resulting from an indirect incorporation of such processes.

Abstract: Image quality deterioration due to a drop in resolution or lowering of S/N ratio while reducing the amount of data stored during a 3D data acquisition process, and shortening the time from the start of an examination to the end of imaging. The method and apparatus of this invention perform, in parallel with the 3D data acquisition process, addition of sinograms, reading of subsets of the sinograms having been added, and image reconstruction. Consequently, the amount of data stored is reduced, and the time from the start of an examination to the end of imaging is shortened. At the same time, since 3D iterative reconstruction is not accompanied by conversion from 3D data to 2D data, a drop in resolution due to errors occurring with the conversion from 3D data to 2D data is avoided. The 3D iterative reconstruction can directly incorporate processes such as an attenuation correction process. It is thus possible to avoid also a lowering of S/N ratio resulting from an indirect incorporation of such processes.

Abstract: The radiation three-dimensional position detector of the present invention comprises a scintillator unit (10), a light receiving element (20) and an operation section (30). The scintillator unit is disposed on the light incident plane of the light receiving element, wherein the scintillator unit is comprised of four layers of scintillator arrays, each layer being composed of scintillator cells arrayed in 8 row ?8 column matrix. The scintillator cell produces scintillation light corresponding to the radiation absorbed thereby. The optical characteristic of a partition material for separating neighboring scintillator cells, which faces at least one same side face is different between a scintillator cell Ck1,m,n included in one scintillator array layer (k1-th layer) and a scintillator cell Ck2,m,n included in the other scintillator array layer (k2-th layer).

Abstract: The radiation three-dimensional position detector of the present invention comprises a scintillator unit (10), a light receiving element (20) and an operation section (30). The scintillator unit is disposed on the light incident plane of the light receiving element, wherein the scintillator unit is comprised of four layers of scintillator arrays, each layer being composed of scintillator cells arrayed in 8 row—8 column matrix. The scintillator cell produces scintillation light corresponding to the radiation absorbed thereby. The optical characteristic of a partition material for separating neighboring scintillator cells, which faces at least one same side face is different between a scintillator cell Ck1,m,n included in one scintillator array layer (k1-th layer) and a scintillator cell Ck2,m,n included in the other scintillator array layer (k2-th layer).