Patents by Inventor Norihito Yanagita

Norihito Yanagita 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).

  • Publication number: 20090108208
    Abstract: There are provided a radiation detection module, a printed circuit board, and a radiological imaging apparatus which make it possible to enhance spatial resolution without increasing channel number, and thereby to perform high-accuracy diagnosis. The radiation detection module includes a plurality of radiation detectors, and a wiring board on which the plurality of radiation detectors are mounted in a manner of being arranged in at least a radiation traveling direction. Here, on the wiring board, a pair of the radiation detectors which are adjacent to each other in the radiation traveling direction are electrically connected to each other, thereby configuring one detector structure (i.e., detection channel). Moreover, the radiation detectors are mounted onto the wiring board such that respective connection parts of electrodes, which are to be electrically connected to each other, are in a mutually-facing state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Norihito Yanagita, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuichiro Ueno, Kazuma Yokoi, Ryuji Jinnai
  • Publication number: 20090092229
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus of the present invention comprises an image pickup device and a medical examinee holding device that is provided with a bed. The image pickup device includes a large number of radiation detectors and radiation detector support plates. A large number of radiation detectors are mounted around the circumference of a through-hole and arranged in the axial direction of the through-hole. The radiation detectors are arranged in three layers formed radially with respect to the center of the through-hole and mounted on the lateral surfaces of the radiation detector support plates. Since the radiation detectors are not only arranged in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the through-hole but also arrayed in the radial direction, it is possible to obtain accurate information about a ?-ray arrival position in the radial direction of the through-hole (the positional information about a radiation detector from which a ?-ray image pickup signal is output).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventors: Shinichi Kojima, Takashi Okazaki, Yuuichirou Ueno, Kikuo Umegaki, Kensuke Amemiya, Kazuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kazuma Yokoi, Norihito Yanagita
  • Publication number: 20090090867
    Abstract: A nuclear medical diagnosis apparatus comprises a nuclear radiation detector for detecting a nuclear radiation generated by a nuclide arranged in a body of a subject, a correcting radiation applying mechanism for directing a correcting radiation generated by a correcting radiation source to the subject so that the correcting radiation passes through the subject to be detected by the nuclear radiation detector, and an orbital mechanism arranged to rotate the correcting radiation applying mechanism to orbit around an body axis of the subject, and having a radiation source container by which the correcting radiation source is contained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventors: Norihito Yanagita, Masahito Ooike, Masami Nagaoka, Shigeru Kimura, Fusaaki Kozawa
  • Publication number: 20090084947
    Abstract: A nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatus, which rotates a rod-shaped radiation source or a point radiation source while changing the radius thereof and carries out a calibration work, is provided to resolve the following problems. If detector calibration is carried out using a cylindrical phantom whose interior is filled with a 18F solution, for example, there is a risk that a ?-ray is scattered by the aqueous solution itself inside the cylindrical phantom. Although there is a method for correcting the scattered radiation, the method has a disadvantage that the correction results in poor calibration. Moreover, if a rod-shaped radiation source is rotated inside a tunnel, there is an extremely low risk of causing the above-described scattering because it is rod-shaped. However, this rod-shaped radiation source only rotates on an orbit of a certain radius, resulting in a ring-shaped radiation source having a hollow portion thereinside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Norihito YANAGITA, Shinichi Inoue, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7488949
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus including a bed which supports an object to be examined and an imaging apparatus, wherein the imaging apparatus has a unit substrate including a first substrate including a radiation detector and a second substrate including a signal processing apparatus to which detection signals of the radiation detector are inputted and the first substrate is connected through a connector, and is provided with a heat insulating member of separating mutually a first area where the radiation detector is disposed from a second area where the signal processing apparatus is disposed, both of which are formed inside the imaging apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichirou Ueno, Kensuke Amemiya, Norihito Yanagita, Takafumi Ishitsu, Keiji Kobashi, Tomoyuki Seino, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20080283760
    Abstract: In a gamma camera, a plurality of radiation detector elements having a rod-shaped first electrode, a semiconductor device surrounds the first electrode to contact with it for entering a radiation, and a second electrode provided for the side surface of the semiconductor device are detachably attached to a holding member. The holding member has a first electrode contact portion contacted with the first electrode and a second electrode contact portion contacted with the second electrode. A collimator in which a plurality of radiation paths provided corresponding to the plurality of radiation detector elements are formed is arranged on the radiation entering side of the plurality of radiation detector elements. A ?-ray detection signal outputted from the first electrode contact portion is sent to a signal processing integrated circuit. A high voltage is applied to the second electrode via the second electrode contact portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Katsutoshi TSUCHIYA, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kazuma Yokoi, Kikuo Umegaki, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Norihito Yanagita, Shinichi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20080277589
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor radioactive ray detector having the excellent energy resolution or time precision, a radioactive detection module, and a nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatus. The semiconductor radioactive ray detector has a structure in which plate-like elements made of cadmium telluride and conductive members are alternately laminated and the plate-like element made of cadmium telluride and the conductive member are adhered to each other with a conductive adhesive agent, and the Young's modulus of the conductive adhesive agent is in the range from 350 MPa to 1000 MPa, while the conductive members are made from a material with the linear expansion coefficient of the conductive members in the range from 5×10?6/° C. to 7×10?6/° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Seino, Norihito Yanagita, Toshiaki Takai, Chiko Yorita, Naoki Matsushima
  • Patent number: 7446319
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus with high spatial resolution including semiconductor radiation detectors arranged on a wiring board capable of detecting ?-rays by separating their positions in the direction of incidence of ?-rays is provided. A semiconductor radiation detector is constructed by including five semiconductor devices made up of, for example, CdTe rectangular parallelepiped plates, a cathode electrode on one side of the semiconductor device, an anode electrode on the other side of the semiconductor device and an insulator for coating five semiconductor detection devices from the outside. The semiconductor radiation detector is mounted on a wiring board using an anode pin and a cathode pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihito Yanagita, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Takafumi Ishitsu, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Shinichi Kojima, Kazuma Yokoi
  • Publication number: 20080137804
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus of the present invention comprises an image pickup device and a medical examinee holding device that is provided with a bed. The image pickup device includes a large number of radiation detectors and radiation detector support plates. A large number of radiation detectors are mounted around the circumference of a through-hole and arranged in the axial direction of the through-hole. The radiation detectors are arranged in three layers formed radially with respect to the center of the through-hole and mounted on the lateral surfaces of the radiation detector support plates. Since the radiation detectors are not only arranged in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the through-hole but also arrayed in the radial direction, it is possible to obtain accurate information about a ?-ray arrival position in the radial direction of the through-hole (the positional information about a radiation detector from which a ?-ray image pickup signal is output).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Shinichi Kojima, Takashi Okazaki, Yuuichirou Ueno, Kikuo Umegaki, Kensuke Amemiya, Kazuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kazuma Yokoi, Norihito Yanagita
  • Patent number: 7381073
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus allowing semiconductor radiation detectors to be easily replaced with new ones and densely arranged. Terminals (31cjk) and (33cjk) are provided on a bottom surface of a detector aggregate (40mn) including a plurality of semiconductor radiation detectors (1); the terminals is connected to electrodes (3 and 4) of the detectors (1). A plurality of zero insertion force connectors (56) are provided on a connecting device (33jk) installed on a support substrate (32h). The terminals (31cjk and 33cjk) are detachably attached to the zero insertion force connectors (56) to mount the detector aggregates (40mn) that are the semiconductor radiation detectors (1), on the support substrate (32h). When the detector aggregates (40mn) are attached to the zero insertion force connectors (56), since no frictional force acts on the terminals, the size of the gap between the detector aggregates (40mn) is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Yokoi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Takafumi Ishitsu, Naoyuki Yamada, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Norihito Yanagita
  • Patent number: 7378662
    Abstract: In a gamma camera, a plurality of radiation detector elements having a rod-shaped first electrode, a semiconductor device surrounds the first electrode to contact with it for entering a radiation, and a second electrode provided for the side surface of the semiconductor device are detachably attached to a holding member. The holding member has a first electrode contact portion contacted with the first electrode and a second electrode contact portion contacted with the second electrode. A collimator in which a plurality of radiation paths provided corresponding to the plurality of radiation detector elements are formed is arranged on the radiation entering side of the plurality of radiation detector elements. A ?-ray detection signal outputted from the first electrode contact portion is sent to a signal processing integrated circuit. A high voltage is applied to the second electrode via the second electrode contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kazuma Yokoi, Kikuo Umegaki, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Norihito Yanagita, Shinichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7372035
    Abstract: In a radiological imaging apparatus, a radiation detecting section includes semiconductor detectors arranged in four columns and four rows. Each of the semiconductor detectors includes a semiconductor base material, and an anode electrode film (first electrode film) and a cathode electrode film (second electrode film) lying opposite each other so as to sandwich the semiconductor base material between them. A first conductive member is installed on each first electrode film. Second electrode films of four semiconductor detectors within a row are connected together using one second conductive member. A shaping amplifier connected to the first conductive members with a wire executes a waveform shaping process using a shaping time shorter than that of a shaping amplifier connected to the second conductive member with a wire; the first conductive members are provided for the four semiconductor detectors within a column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Yokoi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Takafumi Ishitsu, Naoyuki Yamada, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Norihito Yanagita
  • Patent number: 7372036
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus allowing semiconductor radiation detectors to be easily replaced with new ones and densely arranged. Terminals (31cjk) and (33cjk) are provided on a bottom surface of a detector aggregate (40mn) including a plurality of semiconductor radiation detectors (1); the terminals is connected to electrodes (3 and 4) of the detectors (1). A plurality of zero insertion force connectors (56) are provided on a connecting device (33jk) installed on a support substrate (32h). The terminals (31cjk and 33cjk) are detachably attached to the zero insertion force connectors (56) to mount the detector aggregates (40mn) that are the semiconductor radiation detectors (1), on the support substrate (32h). When the detector aggregates (40mn) are attached to the zero insertion force connectors (56), since no frictional force acts on the terminals, the size of the gap between the detector aggregates (40mn) is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Yokoi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Takafumi Ishitsu, Naoyuki Yamada, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Norihito Yanagita
  • Patent number: 7342234
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus which can keep detectors at a low temperature, improve a time resolution and an energy resolution and perform an accurate diagnosis is provided. In the radiological imaging apparatus, an imaging apparatus imaging a testing subject supported by a bed couples a detector board having placed thereon radiation detectors detecting radiations emitted from the testing subject and a signal processing board having placed thereon a signal processing circuit processing detection signals of the radiation detectors via an intermediate board by connectors, and separates a detector space including the radiation detectors and a signal processing circuit space including the signal processing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihito Yanagita, Tsutomu Imai, Takashi Matsumoto, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Tomoyuki Seino
  • Patent number: 7329873
    Abstract: A ?-ray signal processing section 60? determines a detection time of a ? ray based on a ?-ray detection signal outputted from a semiconductor radiation detector for detecting the ? ray, and determines the energy of the ? ray. Then, a time correction circuit 70 obtains, based on the energy of the ? ray, a detection value of the detection time that corresponds to the energy of the ? ray from a time correction table indicating the relationship between the energy of the ? ray and the correction value of the detection time of the ? ray, and corrects the detection time according to the obtained correction value of the detection time. Coincidence counting is performed on the ? ray in a coincidence counting circuit 80 based on the corrected detection time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihito Yanagita, Yuuichirou Ueno, Kensuke Amemiya, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Shinichi Kojima, Kazuma Yokoi, Takafumi Ishitsu
  • Publication number: 20080001092
    Abstract: A practical semiconductor radiation detector capable of collecting electrons rapidly with a large volume is disclosed. A multiple layers of grid electrodes around an anode formed on a semiconductor element limits the generation of the induced charge signal for the anode to the space in the neighborhood of the anode, while at the same time making it possible to collect the electrons rapidly. As a result of limiting the space for generating the induced charge by the grid electrodes, the energy resolution is improved even for a thick semiconductor element. Also, the capability of rapidly collecting the electrons due to the high field strength generated by the grid electrodes makes a sensitive volume of the whole semiconductor and thus achieves a high radiation detection efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Kazuma Yokoi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kikuo Umegaki, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Norihito Yanagita, Shinichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7315025
    Abstract: A practical semiconductor radiation detector capable of collecting electrons rapidly with a large volume is disclosed. A multiple layers of grid electrodes around an anode formed on a semiconductor element limits the generation of the induced charge signal for the anode to the space in the neighborhood of the anode, while at the same time making it possible to collect the electrons rapidly. As a result of limiting the space for generating the induced charge by the grid electrodes, the energy resolution is improved even for a thick semiconductor element. Also, the capability of rapidly collecting the electrons due to the high field strength generated by the grid electrodes makes a sensitive volume of the whole semiconductor and thus achieves a high radiation detection efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Yokoi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kikuo Umegaki, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Norihito Yanagita, Shinichi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20070278414
    Abstract: The semiconductor radiological detector 1 minimizes a dead space resulting from the draw-out of a signal line from an electrode and which allows a number of semiconductor devices to be densely arranged to improve sensitivity and spatial resolution. The semiconductor radiological detector 1 comprises a semiconductor device 2, an anode 3 attached to one surface of the semiconductor device 2, and a cathode 4 attached to the other surface of the semiconductor device 2. A signal line 5 is provided on the anode 3; the signal line 5 extends straight from the anode 3 and is connected to an X axis wire 12. Another signal line 13 is provided on the cathode 4; the signal line 13 extends straight from the cathode 4 and is connected to a Y axis wire 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Yokoi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Takafumi Ishitsu, Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Norihito Yanagita, Shinichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7297958
    Abstract: A radiological imaging apparatus of the present invention comprises an image pickup device and a medical examinee holding device that is provided with a bed. The image pickup device includes a large number of radiation detectors and radiation detector support plates. A large number of radiation detectors are mounted around the circumference of a through-hole and arranged in the axial direction of the through-hole. The radiation detectors are arranged in three layers formed radially with respect to the center of the through-hole and mounted on the lateral surfaces of the radiation detector support plates. Since the radiation detectors are not only arranged in the axial direction and circumferential direction of the through-hole but also arrayed in the radial direction, it is possible to obtain accurate information about a ?-ray arrival position in the radial direction of the through-hole (the positional information about a radiation detector from which a ?-ray image pickup signal is output).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kojima, Takashi Okazaki, Yuuichirou Ueno, Kikuo Umegaki, Kensuke Amemiya, Kazuhiro Takeuchi, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Kazuma Yokoi, Norihito Yanagita
  • Patent number: 7297955
    Abstract: Each semiconductor radiation detector used for a nuclear medicine diagnostic apparatus (PET apparatus) is constructed with an anode electrode A facing a cathode electrode C sandwiching a CdTe semiconductor member S which generates charge through interaction with ?-rays. Then, a thickness t of the semiconductor member S sandwiched between these mutually facing anode electrode A and cathode electrode C is set to 0.2 to 2 mm. Furthermore, the devices are mounted (laid out) on substrates in such a way that the distance (distance of conductor) between the semiconductor radiation detector and an analog ASIC which processes the signal detected by this detector is shortened. Furthermore, the substrates on which the detectors are mounted are housed in a housing as a unit (detector unit).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensuke Amemiya, Yuuichirou Ueno, Hiroshi Kitaguchi, Osamu Yokomizo, Shinichi Kojima, Katsutoshi Tsuchiya, Norihito Yanagita, Kazuma Yokoi