US 11,806,176 B2
Proximity detection
Nathaniel Roth, Tel-Aviv (IL); Yoel Zilberstien, Herzlia (IL); Shlomo Ben-Haim, Milan (IT); and Benny Rousso, Rishon-LeZion (IL)
Assigned to Spectrum Dynamics Medical Limited, Road Town (VG)
Filed by Spectrum Dynamics Medical Limited, Road Town (VG)
Filed on Apr. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/239,796.
Application 17/239,796 is a division of application No. 14/399,975, granted, now 10,987,069, issued on Apr. 27, 2021, previously published as PCT/IB2013/053721, filed on May 8, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/788,394, filed on Mar. 15, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/646,333, filed on May 13, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/644,120, filed on May 8, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2021/0259644 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 6/00 (2006.01); A61B 6/03 (2006.01); A61B 6/04 (2006.01); G01T 1/16 (2006.01); G21K 1/02 (2006.01); A61B 6/10 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 6/037 (2013.01) [A61B 6/0407 (2013.01); A61B 6/4258 (2013.01); A61B 6/4266 (2013.01); A61B 6/4275 (2013.01); A61B 6/4291 (2013.01); A61B 6/447 (2013.01); A61B 6/4429 (2013.01); A61B 6/544 (2013.01); A61B 6/547 (2013.01); G01T 1/1603 (2013.01); G21K 1/025 (2013.01); A61B 6/102 (2013.01); A61B 6/105 (2013.01); A61B 6/4417 (2013.01); A61B 6/4494 (2013.01); A61B 6/5205 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of nuclear medicine imaging comprising:
providing a nuclear medicine tomography system comprising:
a support for a subject of a tomography procedure;
a detector carrier;
a plurality of detector heads mounted on said detector carrier, a first subgroup of said plurality of detector heads each configured to be linearly extended, from a first, most retracted position of said respective detector head relative to the subject, to a second respective position, said second position closer to the subject than said first position, wherein a second subgroup of said first subgroup of detector heads each includes a sensor configured to detect a proximity of a respective said detector head to the subject and a proximity of a respective said detector head relative to another said detector head; and
a controller configured to receive a signal from each said sensor and configured to calculate a desired proximity of each said detector head of said second subgroup with the subject and with another said detector head;
linearly extending said first subgroup of detector heads from said respective first positions to said respective second positions;
wherein said controller receives the signal from each said sensor of said second subgroup of detector heads and calculates an expected proximity of each said detector head of said second subgroup with the subject, at respective third positions, each said third position closer to the subject than said respective second position;
automatically linearly extending said second subgroup of detector heads from said second respective positions to said respective third positions, based on said calculated expected proximity of each said detector head of said second subgroup with the subject at said respective third position; and
based on said calculation, perform one or more of:
stopping said linear extension of at least one of said detector heads of said second subgroup prior to a collision between said at least one detector head of said second subgroup and the subject or prior to a collision or interference between said at least two said detector heads of said second subgroup; and
slowing said linear extension of at least one of said detector heads of said second subgroup prior to a collision between said at least one detector head of said second subgroup and the subject or prior to a collision or interference between said at least two detector heads of said second subgroup.