Abstract: A cardiac imaging system employing dual gamma imaging heads co-registered with one another to provide two dynamic simultaneous views of the heart sector of a patient torso. A first gamma imaging head is positioned in a first orientation with respect to the heart sector and a second gamma imaging head is positioned in a second orientation with respect to the heart sector. An adjustment arrangement is capable of adjusting the distance between the separate imaging heads and the angle between the heads. With the angle between the imaging heads set to 180 degrees and operating in a range of 140-159 keV and at a rate of up to 500kHz, the imaging heads are co-registered to produce simultaneous dynamic recording of two stereotactic views of the heart. The use of co-registered imaging heads maximizes the uniformity of detection sensitivity of blood flow in and around the heart over the whole heart volume and minimizes radiation absorption effects.

Abstract: A cardiovascular imaging and functional analysis system and method is disclosed, wherein a dedicated fast, sensitive, compact and economical imaging gamma camera system that is especially suited for heart imaging and functional analysis is employed. The cardiovascular imaging and functional analysis system of the present invention can be used as a dedicated nuclear cardiology small field of view imaging camera. The disclosed cardiovascular imaging system and method has the advantages of being able to image physiology, while offering an inexpensive and portable hardware, unlike MRI, CT, and echocardiography systems. The cardiovascular imaging system of the invention employs a basic modular design suitable for cardiac imaging with one of several radionucleide tracers.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to screening patients for an early stage of coronary artery disease. According to this method, a patient is screened based on the time-activity curve for a radioactive tracer passing through a left ventricle region of the patient's body. According to another aspect of the invention, an array of gamma particle detectors is employed to obtain data for a region of interest that is larger than and encompasses a left ventricle region of the patient's body. An analysis of the data identifies the subset of the region of interest that corresponds to the left ventricle region. According to a further aspect of the present invention, a second technique is employed to locate the left ventricle region. A still further aspect of the present invention relates to obtaining images of a patient's heart using a high temporal resolution gamma camera.

Abstract: A Cardiovascular imaging and functional analysis system and method employing a dedicated fast, sensitive, compact and economical imaging gamma camera system that is especially suited for heart imaging and functional analysis. The system uses a dedicated nuclear cardiology small field of view imaging camera, allowing image physiology, while offering inexpensive and portable hardware. In some variations, a basic modular design suitable for cardiac imaging with one of several radionucleide tracers is used. The detector is positioned in close proximity to the chest and heart from several different projections, allowing rapid accumulation of data for first-pass analysis, positron imaging, quantitative stress perfusion, and multi-gated equilibrium pooled blood tests. In one variation, a Cardiovascular Non-Invasive Screening Probe system provides rapid, inexpensive preliminary indication of coronary occlusive disease by measuring the activity of emitted particles from an injected bolus of radioactive tracer.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to screening patients for an early stage of coronary artery disease. According to this method, a patient is screened based on the time-activity curve for a radioactive tracer passing through a left ventricle region of the patient's body. According to another aspect of the invention, an array of gamma particle detectors is employed to obtain data for a region of interest that is larger than and encompasses a left ventricle region of the patient's body. An analysis of the data identifies the subset of the region of interest that corresponds to the left ventricle region. According to a further aspect of the present invention, a second technique is employed to locate the left ventricle region. A still further aspect of the present invention relates to obtaining images of a patient's heart using a high temporal resolution gamma camera.