Moving parts in a nuclear medicine (n-m) imaging system

Abstract

A Nuclear Medicine (N-M) imaging system including a gantry having a stationary stator and a rotor rotatably mounted on the stator and including detection units. The rotor is driven by a rotor driving assembly including a linear encoder. The detection units mounted on the rotor include scanning columns having one or more Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPC) mounted on one or more extendable arm. The gantry also includes flat cables connecting the controller with gantry components, e.g., the scanning column Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPC). The scanning columns are pivotably moveable by a scanning column driver system including a rotary encoder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Nuclear Medicine (N-M) imaging system comprising:
 a gantry including at least one stationary stator;   at least one rotor rotatably mounted on said stator and including at least one detection unit mounted on an extendable arm;   at least one controller;   a rotor movement encoder in communication with said controller, wherein said rotor movement encoder is configured to provide said controller with feedback information regarding a spatial position of said at least one detection unit at any point along a rotor path of rotor rotation; and   a second encoder in communication with said controller, said second encoder positioned on at least one of said detection unit and said extendable arm and configured to provide said controller with second feedback information regarding a spatial position of said detection unit with respect to said gantry, said rotor, or another said detection unit.   
     
     
         2 . The imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said rotor movement encoder and said second encoder is a linear encoder. 
     
     
         3 . The imaging system according to  claim 1  further including at least one rotor driving assembly, wherein said controller is in communication with said at least one rotor driving assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The imaging system according to  claim 3 , wherein said at least one rotor driving assembly includes an output axis and wherein said rotor movement encoder is positioned on or after said output axis of said rotor driving assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said rotor movement encoder includes:
 at least one sensor coupled to said stator; and   at least one scale strip disposed along a circumferential surface of said rotor and configured to move across said at least one sensor when said rotor rotates.   
     
     
         6 . The imaging system according to  claim 5 , wherein said at least one scale strip is disposed such that it centrally faces an inner surface or a circular surface concentric with a circumferential surface of said rotor. 
     
     
         7 . The imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said second encoder comprises a second sensor and a second scale strip, and wherein said second sensor is coupled to a stationary portion of said detection unit, said stationary portion remaining in a stationary position with respect to said extendable arm; and
 wherein said second scale strip is coupled to said extendable arm, and is movable across said second sensor as said extendable arm is extended or retracted.   
     
     
         8 . The imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said second encoder comprises a second sensor and a second scale strip, and wherein said second scale strip is coupled to a stationary portion of said detection unit, said stationary portion remaining in a stationary position with respect to said extendable arm; and
 wherein said second sensor is coupled to said extendable arm, and is movable across said second scale strip as said extendable arm is extended or retracted.   
     
     
         9 . The imaging system according to  claim 1 , further including at least one linear drive system that extends and retracts said extendable arm radially inward and outward with respect to said rotor, wherein said at least one linear drive system includes an output axis and wherein said second encoder is positioned on or after said output axis of said linear drive system. 
     
     
         10 . The imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one at least one detection unit includes at least one pivotable scanning column; and
 a scanning column pivot rotary encoder in communication with said controller, wherein said scanning column pivot rotary encoder is positioned on said pivotable scanning column and is configured to provide said controller with third feedback information regarding a spatial position of said pivotable scanning column along a path of pivot of said pivotable scanning column.   
     
     
         11 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein said pivotable scanning column is configured to pivot along a single axis. 
     
     
         12 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of:
 said feedback information includes information regarding a degree of rotation of said rotor with respect to said stator;   said second feedback information includes information regarding a degree of radially inward or outward extension of said extendable arm with respect to said gantry, said rotor, or another said extendable arm; and   said third feedback information includes information regarding a degree of pivot of said pivotable scanning column with respect to said gantry or a vector of gravity with respect to said extendable arm.   
     
     
         13 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of:
 said rotor movement encoder includes at least one sensor coupled to a first one of said stator and said rotor and at least one scale strip on a second one of said stator and said rotor, said at least one scale strip configured to move across said at least one sensor when said rotor rotates;   said second encoder comprises a second sensor and a second scale strip; and   said scanning column pivot rotary encoder comprises a third sensor and a third scale strip.   
     
     
         14 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein said scanning column pivot rotary encoder comprises a third sensor and a third scale strip, and wherein said third scale strip is a rotary scale strip or a scale disc. 
     
     
         15 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein said pivotable scanning column is driven by at least one scanning column driver assembly and is configured to pivot in first direction or a second direction about a long axis of said pivotable scanning column at least partially along a circular path of less than 360 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . The imaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein said third sensor is coupled to a stationary portion of said scanning column driver assembly, said stationary portion of said scanning column driver assembly remaining in a stationary position with respect to said pivotable scanning column; and
 wherein said third scale strip is coupled to said pivotable scanning column, and is movable across said third sensor as said scanning column pivots back or forth.   
     
     
         17 . The imaging system according to  claim 15 , wherein said third scale strip is disposed circumferentially about a stationary portion of said scanning column driver assembly, said stationary portion of said scanning column driver assembly remaining in a stationary position with respect to said pivotable scanning column: and
 wherein said third sensor is coupled to said pivotable scanning column, and is movable across said third scale strip as said pivotable scanning column pivots back or forth.   
     
     
         18 . The imaging system according to  claim 15 , wherein said scanning column driver assembly includes an output axis and wherein said scanning column pivot rotary encoder is mounted on or after said output axis of said scanning column driver assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of:
 said rotor movement encoder includes at least one sensor coupled to said stator and at least one magnetic scale strip on said rotor configured to move across said at least one sensor when said rotor rotates;   said second encoder comprises a second sensor and a second magnetic scale strip; and   said scanning column pivot rotary encoder comprises a third sensor and a third magnetic scale disc.   
     
     
         20 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said rotor movement encoder, said second encoder, and said scanning column pivot rotary encoder is an optical encoder. 
     
     
         21 . The imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of:
 said rotor movement encoder includes at least one sensor coupled to said stator and at least one scale strip on said rotor configured to move across said at least one sensor when said rotor rotates, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a sensor flag;   said second encoder comprises a second scale strip and a second sensor comprising a sensor flag; and   said scanning column pivot rotary encoder comprises a third scale strip and a third sensor comprising a third sensor flag.   
     
     
         22 . A Nuclear Medicine (N-M) imaging system comprising:
 a gantry including at least one stationary stator;   at least one rotor rotatably mounted on said stator; and   at least one detection unit having at least one extendable arm mounted on said rotor, said extendable arm including a pivotable scanning column configured to pivot along a single axis;   at least one controller;   wherein at least one of:   (a) said imaging system includes a rotor movement encoder in communication with said controller, said rotor movement encoder configured to provide said controller with feedback information regarding a spatial position of said rotor at any point along a rotor path of rotor rotation;   (b) said imaging system includes a second encoder in communication with said controller, said second linear encoder configured to provide said controller with second feedback information regarding a spatial position of said at least one extendable arm with respect to said gantry, said rotor, or another said extendable arm; and   (c) said imaging system includes a scanning column pivot rotary encoder in communication with said controller, said scanning column pivot rotary encoder positioned on said pivotable scanning column and configured to provide said controller with third feedback information regarding a spatial position of said pivotable scanning column along a path of pivot of said pivotable scanning column.