| US 7,522,952 B2 | ||
| Combined positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance tomography unit | ||
| Robert Krieg, Nuremberg (Germany); Rainer Kuth, Herzogenaurach (Germany); Ralf Ladebeck, Erlangen (Germany); Ralph Oppelt, Uttenreuth (Germany); Wolfgang Renz, Erlangen (Germany); Sebastian Schmidt, Erlangen (Germany); and Markus Vester, Nuremberg (Germany) | ||
| Assigned to Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (Germany) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 03, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/395,267. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 10 2005 015 070 (DE), filed on Apr. 01, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0251312 A1, Nov. 09, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. A61B 5/055 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 600—411 [600/427; 600/436; 324/318; 324/322; 250/363.03] | 20 Claims |
| 1. A combined positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance tomography unit for imaging an examination object in an
examination space, comprising:
a positron emission tomography unit comprising:
a unit part assigned to the examination space, the unit part comprising a gamma ray detector with an assigned electronics
unit for detecting radiation emitted from the examination space by the examination object and converting the radiation into
corresponding electric signals, and
a first evaluation unit for evaluating the electric signals for a positron emission tomography image of the examination object,
and
a magnetic resonance tomography unit, comprising:
a high frequency antenna device emitting high frequency excitation pulses and transmitting the excitation pulses to the examination
space and/or receiving from the examination space magnetic resonance signals from the examination object,
a gradient coil system for generating magnetic gradient fields in the examination space, the high frequency antenna device
being arranged nearer to the examination space than the gradient coil system,
a high frequency shield arranged between the gradient coil system and the high frequency antenna device, for decoupling the
high frequency antenna device from the gradient coil system, and
a second evaluation unit for evaluating the magnetic resonance signals for a magnetic resonance tomography image of the examination
object; and
a shielding cover positioned between the positron emission tomography unit part and the high frequency antenna device, the
shielding cover being opaque to high frequency radiation, wherein
both the positron emission tomography unit part and the shielding cover are provided within longitudinal extents of the examination
space, and
the positron emission tomography unit part is positioned between the high frequency shield and the high frequency antenna
device.
|