Emission tomography carousel system and method

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is directed to an emission tomography carousel system and method and comprises and uses a stationary scintillation detector, sometimes called a gamma camera) and a very accurately positionable carousel having four degrees of motion relative to the detector.
In a specific embodiment, a very accurate computerized motor control system moves the carousel in three of those degrees of motion.
Such a system and method can keep the organ of interest within the image field of the detector and very close to the center of revolution during the movement of the patient, permit the use of a relatively small and inexpensive detector system, and can be utilized in a relatively small area.
In addition to these advantages, the present invention also provides extremely good accuracy of angular placement and concentricity with excellent reproducibility of results.
The present carousel system can be adapted for use with existing non-rotational detector systems to enable them to be used for SPECT imaging.
The present invention utilizes a carousel mounted on a supporting plate that is both rotational and translatable along orthogonal axes.
A programmed computer is used to calculate the movement of the carousel about the detector so as to maintain the target area of the patient as close as possible to the detector and in the center of the field of the detector during such motion.
The carousel incorporates support surfaces and attachment devices to maintain the portion of the patient being investigated in a motionless state.