Abstract: A Cerium-Doped Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate scintillator boule having a graded decay time. The method for manufacturing an LSO:Ce crystal boule having a decay time gradient decreasing from the top end to the bottom end first includes the step selecting an iridium crucible. The crucible is selected based upon its diameter relative to the diameter defined by said crystal boule. The crucible is also selected based upon its volume relative to the volume of the crystal boule to be grown. A Cerium dopant (CeO2) is added to a mixture of Lutetium Oxide (Lu2O3) and Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). The composition is heated until melted to define a melt. A seed crystal is then placed in contact with the melt, is rotated, and slowly withdrawn, thereby yielding an LSO:Ce crystal boule defining a decay time gradient.

Abstract: A scintillation detector which includes a plurality of discrete scintillators composed of one or more scintillator materials. The discrete scintillators interact with incident radiation to produce a quantifiable number of photons with characteristic emission wavelength and decay time. A light guide is operatively associated with the scintillation crystals and may be either active or non-active and segmented or non-segmented depending upon the embodiment of the design. Photodetectors are provided to sense and quantify the scintillation light emissions. The process and system embodying various features of the present invention can be utilized in various applications such as SPECT, PET imaging and simultaneous PET systems.

Abstract: A coincidence transmission source serves to detect coincident activity from a radiation source. The coincidence transmission source includes a detector dedicated to collecting attenuation data. A collimated radiation source and a detector are positioned with respect to a tomography device such that only a selected strip of the imaging detector of the tomograph is illuminated such that events unrelated to the attenuation are eliminated. The coincidence transmission source includes a collimator in which is disposed a radiation source. An opening is defined by the collimator for exposing a selected portion of the imaging detectors of the tomograph device. Positioned behind the radiation source, relative to the imaging detectors, is the dedicated attenuation detector. The attenuation detector and collimator are designed to illuminate only a strip of the imaging detector, thereby eliminating events not of interest in the attenuation measurement.

Abstract: A depth of interaction detector block for improving the spatial resolution and uniformity in modern high resolution PET systems over an entire FOV. An LSO crystal layer, a GSO crystal layer, and a light guide are stacked on each other and mounted on a 2×2 PMT set, so that the corners of the phoswich are positioned over the PMT centers. The crystal phoswich is cut into a matrix of discrete crystals. The separation of the LSO and the GSO layers by pulse shape discrimination allows discrete DOI information to be obtained. The block design provides an external light guide used to share the scintillation light in four PMTs. The 4 PMT signals Si are connected to an amplifier box which offers a 4 pole semi-Gaussian shaping for each of the four PMT signals, a sample clock for triggering the ADC cards and a fast sum signal &Sgr;iSi of the four PMT signals Si for pulse shape discrimination. A CFD provides a START signal for the time to pulse height converter.

Abstract: A Cerium-Doped Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate scintillator boule having a graded decay time. The method for manufacturing an LSO:Ce crystal boule having a decay time gradient decreasing from the top end to the bottom end first includes the step selecting an iridium crucible. The crucible is selected based upon its diameter relative to the diameter defined by said crystal boule. The crucible is also selected based upon its volume relative to the volume of the crystal boule to be grown. A Cerium dopant (CeO2) is added to a mixture of Lutetium Oxide (Lu2O3) and Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). The composition is heated until melted to define a melt. A seed crystal is then placed in contact with the melt, is rotated, and slowly withdrawn, thereby yielding an LSO:Ce crystal boule defining a decay time gradient.

Abstract: A variable resistance band exercise machine for exercising the body of a user including their arms, waists and legs. The user moves various groups of movable exercise components against the resistance provided by elastically deformable resistance bands. The deformable resistance bands are removable and can be interchangeably exchanged with any group of exercise components.

Abstract: A 3-dimensional projection system (10) for the rapid back projection of multi-ring Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan data composed of planes (44) of two-dimensional data defining individual Lines Of Response (LOR) (42) into a plurality of image voxels for three-dimensional display on a video screen. The projection system (10) of the preferred embodiment is a Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) based architecture which will support forward and back projection for a 3-dimensional image detected by a multi-ring PET scanner. A selected number of processing engines (20) are included for forward projection and back projection, the number of engines (20) being inversely proportional to the projection time.

Abstract: An aftercooker device for reducing the solvent content of drycleaning solid residues is disclosed as is its application in dry cleaning processes. The aftercooker is adapted for use with fouled disposable filters as well as with the solids which result from the flashing of soil-containing filter backwash. The aftercooker and its use are characterized by the use of ambient to moderately elevated temperatures and low velocity flows of air to remove solvent from residues and to the use of a vent scrubber to recover the solvent so removed.

Abstract: A two dimensional photon position encoder system (10) and process which includes a detector (20) for enhancing the spatial resolution of the situs of the origin of incident photons of gamma rays. A plurality of scintillator material members (22) interact with the incident photons and produce a quantifiable number of photons which exit the scintillation material members. A tuned light guide (68) having a plurality of radiation barriers (92) of predetermined lengths define slots which are operatively associated with one of the scintillator material members. Photons exiting the scintillator material members (22) enter an operatively associated slot in said slotted light guide. These slots (90) serve to enhance the predictability of the statistical distribution of photons along the length of the slotted light guide (68). A detector (20) detects the distribution of the photons at preselected locations along the length of the slotted light guide.

Abstract: A two-dimensional photon position encoder system (10) and process which includes a detector (20) for enhancing the spatial resolution of the situs of the origin of incident photons of gamma rays. A plurality of scintillator material members (22) interact with the incident photons and produce a quantifiable number of photons which exit the scintillation material members. A tuned light guide (68) having a plurality of radiation barriers (92) of predetermined lengths define slots which are operatively associated with one of the scintillator material members. These slots (90) serve to enhance the predictability of the statistical distribution of photons along the length of the slotted light guide (68). A detector (20) detects the distribution of the photons at preselected locations along the length of the slotted light guide. In one embodiment, this detector (20) comprises a photomultiplier (70) which gathers information concerning the photoelectrons which are then counted.

Abstract: A two dimensional photon position encoder system (10) and process which includes a detector (20) for enhancing the spatial resolution of the situs of the origin of incident photons of gamma rays. A plurality of scintillator material members (22) interact with the incident photons and produce a quantifiable number of photons which exit the scintillation material members. A tuned light guide (68) having a plurality of radiation barriers (92) of predetermined lengths define slots which are operatively associated with one of the scintillator material members. Photons exiting the scintillator material members (22) enter an operatively associated slot in said slotted light guide. These slots (90) serve to enhance the predictability of the statistical distribution of photons along the length of the slotted light guide (68). A detector (20) detects the distribution of the photons at preselected locations along the length of the slotted light guide.