Single photon emission ct apparatus

Claim 2

A single photon emission CT apparatus in which a detection operation is performed from outside of a living body by a detecting portion constituted by at least one scintillation detector and at least one collimator to obtain a SPECT image in a head portion of the living body, comprising: a gantry; a rotatable ring arranged on said gantry so as to rotate said rotatable ring with the gantry and having a patient insertion hole formed in a central portion thereof; three detecting portion pairs arranged around the hole in said rotatable ring, each of said detecting portion pairs being constituted by a scintillation detector and a collimator, and each having a detection surface thereof; moving mechanisms comprising means for rotating at least two of said three detecting portion pairs so as to form a triangle with the detection surfaces of said scintillation detectors; and a bed unit having a slide top plate for transferring a patient to be examined to a position near said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said collimators of said three detecting portion pairs are fan beam collimators.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a means for reconstructing a SPECT image in a small field of view by using data detected by said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said collimators of said three detecting portion pairs are parallel beam collimators.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a means for reconstructing a SPECT image in a large field of view by using data detected by said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a means for reconstructing a planar image by using data detected by said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said three detecting portion pairs are arranged such that at least two opposing detection surfaces are defined by detection surfaces of said scintillation detectors.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for rotating rotates said three detecting portion pairs such that at least two of the detection surfaces are in a parallel, opposed relation so as to face each other, and said at least two detection surfaces of said scintillation detectors are perpendicular to the detection surface of the third detecting portion pair.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said collimators of said three detecting portion pairs are parallel beam collimators.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a means for reconstructing opposing planar images by using data detected by said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a means for reconstructing a planar whole body scan image by using data detected by said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a means for reconstructing an image by using data detected by said detecting portion pairs while performing at least one of operations of transferring the patient to a position near said detecting portion pairs by using said bed unit, and rotating said rotatable ring.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving mechanisms include lead screw mechanisms for linearly moving said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving mechanisms are worm gear mechanisms for rotating said detecting portion pairs.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said three detecting portion pairs are arranged in a cover provided for said gantry.

Claim 17

A single photon emission CT apparatus for imaging a tomogram of a distribution of a radioisotope material located inside a patient's body, comprising: a rotatable gantry having an axis of rotation; three detectors, each having a corresponding detection surface, mounted on said gantry for detecting radiation emitted from the radioisotope material which impinges at least one of said detection surfaces; and means for moving at least two of said detectors from a first orientation to a second orientation, and also from said second orientation to said first orientation, wherein said first orientation is such that the three detection surfaces are oriented obliquely to each other so as to form a triangular region, and the second orientation is such that the detection surfaces of said at least two detectors are oriented so as to be parallel to each other to thereby be disposed in opposed relation, and said detection surfaces of said at least two detectors are oriented so as to be perpendicular to the detection surface of the third detector.

Claim 18

A single photon emission CT apparatus for imaging a tomogram of a distribution of a radioisotope material located inside a patient's body, comprising: a rotatable gantry having an axis of rotation; three detectors, each having a corresponding detection surface, mounted on said gantry for detecting radiation emitted from the radioisotope material which impinges at least one of said detection surfaces; and means for moving at least two of said detectors from a first orientation to a second orientation, and also from said second orientation to said first orientation, wherein said first orientation is such that the three detection surfaces are oriented obliquely to each other so as to form a triangular region, and the second orientation is such that the detection surfaces of said at least two detectors are oriented so as to be parallel to each other to thereby be disposed in opposed relation, and said detection surfaces of said at least two detectors are oriented so as to be perpendicular to the detection surface of the third detector.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said detectors include fan beam collimators.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said detectors include parallel beam collimators.