Patents by Inventor Larry Byars

Larry Byars has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10222490
    Abstract: Apparatuses, computer-readable mediums, and methods are provided. In one embodiment, a positron emission tomography (“PET”) detector array is provided which includes a plurality of crystal elements arranged in a two-dimensional checkerboard configuration. In addition, there are empty spaces in the checkerboard configuration. In various embodiments, the empty spaces are filled with passive shielding, transmission source assemblies, biopsy instruments, surgical instruments, and/or electromagnetic sensors. In various embodiments, the crystal elements and the transmission source assemblies simultaneously perform emission/transmission acquisitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian J. Michel, Maurizio Conti, Ronald Grazioso, Peter Carl Cohen, A. Andrew Carey, Larry Byars
  • Publication number: 20150001402
    Abstract: Apparatuses, computer-readable mediums, and methods are provided. In one embodiment, a positron emission tomography (“PET”) detector array is provided which includes a plurality of crystal elements arranged in a two-dimensional checkerboard configuration. In addition, there are empty spaces in the checkerboard configuration. In various embodiments, the empty spaces are filled with passive shielding, transmission source assemblies, biopsy instruments, surgical instruments, and/or electromagnetic sensors. In various embodiments, the crystal elements and the transmission source assemblies simultaneously perform emission/transmission acquisitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Christian J. Michel, Maurizio Conti, Ronald Grazioso, Peter Carl Cohen, A. Andrew Carey, Larry Byars
  • Patent number: 8866086
    Abstract: Apparatuses, computer-readable mediums, and methods are provided. In one embodiment, a positron emission tomography (“PET”) detector array is provided which includes a plurality of crystal elements arranged in a two-dimensional checkerboard configuration. In addition, there are empty spaces in the checkerboard configuration. In various embodiments, the empty spaces are filled with passive shielding, transmission source assemblies, biopsy instruments, surgical instruments, and/or electromagnetic sensors. In various embodiments, the crystal elements and the transmission source assemblies simultaneously perform emission/transmission acquisitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Christian J. Michel, Maurizio Conti, Ronald Grazioso, Piotr Szupryczynski, A. Andrew Carey, Larry Byars
  • Publication number: 20130032721
    Abstract: Apparatuses, computer-readable mediums, and methods are provided. In one embodiment, a positron emission tomography (“PET”) detector array is provided which includes a plurality of crystal elements arranged in a two-dimensional checkerboard configuration. In addition, there are empty spaces in the checkerboard configuration. In various embodiments, the empty spaces are filled with passive shielding, transmission source assemblies, biopsy instruments, surgical instruments, and/or electromagnetic sensors. In various embodiments, the crystal elements and the transmission source assemblies simultaneously perform emission/transmission acquisitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA, INC.
    Inventors: Christian J. Michel, Maurizio Conti, Ronald Grazioso, Piotr Szupryczynski, A. Andrew Carey, Larry Byars
  • Patent number: 8193505
    Abstract: In positron emission tomography (PET), a detector's response to scattered radiation may be different from its response to unscattered (true coincidence) photons. This difference should be accounted for during normalization and scatter correction. The disclosure shows that only a knowledge of the ratio of the scatter to trues efficiencies is necessary, however. A system and method are disclosed for measuring the scatter/trues detection efficiency ratio, as well as for applying this compensation during the scatter correction of PET emission data. PET detector efficiencies are measured in two steps, the first using a plane radiation source, and the second using a plane radiation source in combination with a scattering medium. A ratio of the scatter and trues detection efficiency is obtained from this data for each detector/crystal, and is applied as a correction factor to PET data obtained during medical imaging processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles C. Watson, Larry Byars, Christian J. Michel, Harold Rothfuss
  • Publication number: 20100078568
    Abstract: In positron emission tomography (PET), a detector's response to scattered radiation may be different from its response to unscattered (true coincidence) photons. This difference should be accounted for during normalization and scatter correction. The disclosure shows that only a knowledge of the ratio of the scatter to trues efficiencies is necessary, however. A system and method are disclosed for measuring the scatter/trues detection efficiency ratio, as well as for applying this compensation during the scatter correction of PET emission data. PET detector efficiencies are measured in two steps, the first using a plane radiation source, and the second using a plane radiation source in combination with a scattering medium. A ratio of the scatter and trues detection efficiency is obtained from this data for each detector/crystal, and is applied as a correction factor to PET data obtained during medical imaging processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Larry Byars, Christian J. Michel, Harold Rothfuss, Charles C. Watson
  • Patent number: 7324624
    Abstract: Emission contamination data are collected in a shifted mock scan simultaneous with the collection of transmission data during a transmission scan of a patient with a collimated gamma point source, the transmission data are corrected with the emission contamination data, and the corrected transmission data are used for attenuation correction of emission data for reconstruction of an emission image of the patient. In a preferred implementation, when the point source is at a particular axial location and illuminates an axial beamwidth of “Fz” over the gamma detector, emission contamination data are collected from the gamma detector over an axial separated region “Fz?” having about the same axial extent but axially displaced by about half of the axial field of view (FOV).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Merence Sibomana, Mark W. Lenox, Larry Byars, Christian J. Michel, Danny Newport
  • Publication number: 20070090300
    Abstract: Emission contamination data are collected in a shifted mock scan simultaneous with the collection of transmission data during a transmission scan of a patient with a collimated gamma point source, the transmission data are corrected with the emission contamination data, and the corrected transmission data are used for attenuation correction of emission data for reconstruction of an emission image of the patient. In a preferred implementation, when the point source is at a particular axial location and illuminates an axial beamwidth of “Fz” over the gamma detector, emission contamination data are collected from the gamma detector over an axial separated region “Fz?” having about the same axial extent but axially displaced by about half of the axial field of view (FOV).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Merence Sibomana, Mark Lenox, Larry Byars, Christian Michel, Danny Newport