Systems for imaging with multi-head camera

Abstract

Nuclear medicine (NM) multi-head imaging system includes a gantry defining a bore and a table positioned within the bore. The system also includes a plurality of detector units coupled to the gantry. Each of the detector units is configured to rotate about a unit axis. The plurality of detector units include first and second detector units. The system also includes at least one processor configured to execute programmed instructions stored in memory, wherein the at least one processor, when executing the programmed instructions, rotates the first and second detector units as the first and second detector units acquire image data and generates a composite persistence image based on the image data. The table is configured to be moved within the bore in response to inputs from a user or commands from the at least one processor.

1 . A nuclear medicine (NM) multi-head imaging system comprising:
 a gantry defining a bore;   a table positioned within the bore and configured to support an object to be imaged;   a plurality of detector units coupled to the gantry, each of the detector units being configured to face toward a center of the bore and having a respective detector field-of-view (FOV), each of the detector units configured to rotate about a unit axis, the plurality of detector units including first and second detector units; and   at least one processor configured to execute programmed instructions stored in memory, wherein the at least one processor, when executing the programmed instructions, performs the following operations:
 rotate the first and second detector units as the first and second detector units acquire image data; 
 generates a composite persistence image based on the image data; 
   wherein the table is configured to be moved within the bore in response to inputs from a user or commands from the at least one processor.   
     
     
         2 . The NM imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second detector units are positioned at perpendicular positions about the bore. 
     
     
         3 . The NM imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second detectors is rotated within a sweep range, the first and second detector units being incrementally moved to discrete rotational positions within the sweep range, wherein the image data is acquired at each rotational position. 
     
     
         4 . The NM imaging system of  claim 3 , wherein the NM imaging system includes a display, the at least one processor configured to display projections on the display, each of the projections being based on image data at one of the rotational positions. 
     
     
         5 . The NM imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of detector units include a plurality of the first detector units and a plurality of the second detector units, each of the first and second detectors being rotated within a sweep range, the first and second detector units being incrementally moved to discrete rotational positions within the sweep range, wherein the image data is acquired at each rotational position.